 Lihou - haven for wildlife |
One of Guernsey's wetlands has been officially recognised as a site of international importance. An area around Lihou Island has been granted Ramsar site status, under the UN Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
The 426-hectare area includes La Claire Mare, the Colin Best Nature Reserve and the western end of the L'Eree headland.
Its Ramsar designation shows it has been recognised as containing diverse habitats for animals and plants.
'Worthy member'
The site contains a variety of habitats; from internationally-threatened shingle banks, to marshes, reed beds and saline lagoons.
The site also has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, as well as a wide variety of seabirds, wildflowers, and marine organisms. Over 200 species of seaweed are recorded on the Lihou causeway alone.
UK Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight said: "Guernsey is a worthy member of this group and the Guernsey site will be the 165th Ramsar site in the British Isles."
Guernsey's Environment Minister, Deputy Bernard Flouquet, said the announcement was great news for the island.
He said: "Designation elevates the status of the site to that of 'international importance', bringing special notice to the environmental, cultural and heritage aspects of the area."
He added that the recognition would provide a positive focal point for new education, tourism and environmental initiatives which would contribute to the area's long-term conservation and use.
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
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