Public consultation on Alderney Strategy for Nature and Agriculture

A four-week public consultation period is open for a proposed Strategy for Nature & Agriculture in Alderney. It will include a public drop-in at the Island Hall’s Anne French Room on February 28th.

The States of Alderney’s Island Plan committed to producing a Biodiversity Strategy but this has now evolved into a wider strategy that includes food production and the management of natural resources.

The importance of food supply resilience and agriculture have become a more prominent need to be addressed through a combined Nature and Agriculture Strategy underpinned by the Land Use Plan.

It focuses on the Island’s remarkable ecosystem including species-rich grasslands, woodland, wetlands, coastal and marine environments; its unique potential for agricultural development; and the threats to nature and agriculture.

It includes guiding principles to connect the community with the natural environment, ensure the diversity and resilience of Alderney’s natural assets, and improve knowledge to inform decision-making.

Once sanctioned, it would offer strategic guidance for work programmes and operational-level activities on States Land as well as the benefits to tourism, public wellbeing, heritage and scientific research. The aim is to enhance and maintain nature and agricultural productivity for future generations.

Recommended actions encompass States Works initiatives, waste management including plastics, Channel Island Bird-Ringing Scheme monitoring, Alderney Wildlife Trust work programmes and the Alderney Bird Observatory – all streamlined through centralised reporting.

General Services Committee (GSC) Chair Lin Maurice said: “A lot of hard work has gone into this proposed Strategy and I am grateful to all stakeholders for
their input. The focus is on food production and food sustainability as well as providing a framework to help safeguard our amazing natural environment. It encourages people not only to grow their own fruit and vegetables where possible, but also for everyone to be a citizen scientist.

“With climate change, new and different flora and fauna will most likely appear and so people that are gardeners, or have hobbies such as fishing, bird watching or just walking the cliff paths, will be the first to find new species of plants or a creature that they may not recognise.

“Accompanying this new Strategy will be a register of endangered and rare species and noxious plants which can be adjusted as they are discovered. Without the involvement of these citizen scientists, new species could be missed.”

The 28-page document can be read or downloaded at Strategy for Nature and Agriculture Consultation, where there is also an online feedback form.