L E G I S L A T I V E C O U N C I L O F F I C I A L R E P O R T R E C O R T Y S O I K O I L Y C H O O N C E I L S L A T T Y S S A G H P R O C E E D I N G S D A A L T Y N HANSARD Douglas, Tuesday, 27th February 2018 All published Official Reports can be found on the Tynwald website: www.tynwald.org.im/business/hansard Supplementary material provided subsequent to a sitting is also published to the website as a Hansard Appendix. Reports, maps and other documents referred to in the course of debates may be consulted on application to the Tynwald Library or the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office. Volume 135, No. 10 ISSN 1742-2272 Published by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald, Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3PW. © Court of Tynwald, 2018 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TUESDAY, 27th FEBRUARY 2018 Present: The President of Tynwald (Hon. S C Rodan) The Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man (The Rt Rev. P A Eagles), The Attorney General (Mr J L M Quinn QC), Mr D M Anderson, Mr M R Coleman, Mr C G Corkish MBE, Mr D C Cretney, Mr T M Crookall, Mr R W Henderson, Mr J R Turner and Mrs J P Poole-Wilson with Mr J D C King, Clerk of the Council. Business transacted 1. Questions for Oral Answer.................................................................................................... 161 1.1. Biosphere Isle of Man Core Zones – Conservation work to sustain status .......................... 161 1.2. Biosphere Isle of Man Core Zones – Importance; measuring biodiversity; sustainable activities.................................................................................................................... 164 Order of the Day ...................................................................................................................... 167 2. Tribute to outgoing Members – Appreciation expressed to Mr Anderson, Mr Coleman, Mr Corkish, Mr Turner and Mrs Poole-Wilson ............................................................................ 167 The Council adjourned at 11.20 a.m. .................................................................................................. 172 __________________________________________________________________________ 160 C135 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TUESDAY, 27th FEBRUARY 2018 Legislative Council The Council met at 10.30 a.m. [MR PRESIDENT in the Chair] The President: Moghrey mie, Hon. Members. Members: Moghrey mie, Mr President. 5 The President: The Lord Bishop will lead us in prayer. PRAYERS The Lord Bishop The Lord Bishop: Before the Manx blessing, let us for a moment recall the 60th anniversary today of the Winter Hill plane crash and the 35 Manx residents who were killed on that day, commending them to Almighty God’s eternal care. Members stood in silence. 1. Questions for Oral Answer ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 1.1. Biosphere Isle of Man Core Zones – Conservation work to sustain status The Hon. Member of the Council, Mr Henderson, to ask a representative of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture: What conservation work is being undertaken by the Department in the Biosphere Isle of Man Core Zones particularly in relation to sustaining the status of these zones? 10 The President: Hon. Members, we begin our Order Paper with Questions for Oral Answer and I call on the Hon. Member of Council, Mr Henderson. Mr Henderson: Gura mie eu, Eaghtyrane. I wish to ask a representative, Mr Cretney, of the Department of Environment what conservation 15 work is being undertaken by the Department in the Biosphere Isle of Man Core Zones particularly in relation to sustaining the status of these zones? __________________________________________________________________________ 161 C135 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TUESDAY, 27th FEBRUARY 2018 The President: I call on a representative of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture to reply. 20 A representative of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Mr Cretney): Mr President, active conservation and biodiversity protection underpinned our designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The core zones of the Reserve are mainly sites given a level of protection through the Wildlife Act 1990, or by ownership by bodies with a key focus on nature conservation. Statutory designations within the core zone include Areas of Special Scientific Interest, 25 National Nature Reserves and Marine Nature Reserves. Conservation work at these sites is carried out by DEFA, as well as a range of other partners such as the Manx Wildlife Trust and Manx National Heritage. There are also sites owned by private landowners, who may carry out conservation measures as part of a Management Agreement, for which payments may be made. With limited resources, conservation and monitoring of sites within the core zones varies. Some 30 sites are subject to active management and regular monitoring, while others may have relatively low levels of management and monitoring, and this is an area we will need to address as we deliver the Biodiversity Strategy. One of the most actively managed and well-monitored systems is the Ayres National Nature Reserve, which continues to receive a necessarily high level of wardening and monitoring from the 35 DEFA wildlife warden, who has a responsibility across our estate. A detailed management plan is in place along with a programme of monitoring to measure the effectiveness of conservation measures. Highlights from the Ayres include nest monitoring of little tern, Arctic tern, ‘ringer plover’, oystercatcher, curlew and lapwing, and monitoring of the endangered scarce crimson and gold moth and the heath beefly. 2 40 In the marine environment, Ramsey Marine Nature Reserve covers nearly 95 km and is zoned to protect key habitats including horse mussel reef, maerl beds and eelgrass meadows from major threats including some methods of fishing and other impacts. The Horse Mussel Zone is protected from all commercial fishing, and with the exception of a small amount of seasonal bait collection the Eelgrass Zone is completely protected as a no-take zone. The Marine Nature Reserve was 45 comprehensively surveyed when it was established in 2011 and there have been interim surveys by DEFA, Bangor University and divers from Seasearch Isle of Man, including the production of an updated habitat map in 2016. The site is also monitored on an annual basis to protect the sustainable use of the Fisheries Management Zone. An innovative survey and management regime, a partnership between the Manx Fish Producers' Organisation, DEFA and Bangor University delivers 50 increased scallop catches with a low carbon footprint and protection of horse mussel reefs and maerl beds, and this example is cited internationally. One of the main roles of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves is to act as test sites for innovative sustainable management, and Ramsey is a world- leading example of this. The conservation and monitoring work we carry out in the core zones will be compiled and will 55 contribute to the UNESCO periodic review process, which is carried out every 10 years. We will be required to demonstrate how we have increased capacity for sustainable resource management and improved ecosystem management. As part of this we will need to show how we have maintained the integrity of important habitats and species, and where we have improved conservation outcomes through good management and community engagement. 60 The President: Supplementary, Mr Henderson Mr Henderson: Gura mie eu, Eaghtyrane. I thank the Hon. Member for his full and comprehensive Answer to my Question. I am very 65 pleased to hear the Department's commitment – and very pleased at the Department's commitment to the glen regeneration programme, as an aside, Eaghtyrane. However, I am specifically interested in the core zones designations which are critical to Biosphere Status and our status in particular. __________________________________________________________________________ 162 C135 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TUESDAY, 27th FEBRUARY 2018 I would ask the Hon. Member: in going forward now and recognising the commitment he has just set forth in his Answer, are there plans for further conservation enhancing work to be progressed, as 70 we have had the Biodiversity Strategy in place since 2015? I would like to know if he could now or at a later date, circulate some information on future plans going forward recognising these critical aspects of our Biosphere status? The President: Hon. Member. 75 Mr Cretney: Yes, can I first of all agree with the Hon. Member and thank him as a Member of Treasury for his and the Treasury Department’s support in terms of the million pounds over the next four years towards the glen enhancement. The glens are very special places (A Member: Hear, hear.) as far as I am concerned. The 80 workforce and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture have been working – (Interjection) they have been pruned – and they have been working hard to keep up with storm damage, ash dieback and other factors. So I would like to thank his Department for that. In terms of his specific question about going forward there is a requirement for us to, on an ongoing basis, come up with more plans for the future. I would be very happy – either myself or the 85 Champion for the UNESCO Biosphere, which I think emphasises the importance which is placed on this by the Department – to come back and discuss with the Hon. Member, or with all Tynwald Members, progress in relation to that. The President: Hon. Member, Mr Turner. 90 Mr Turner: Thank you, Mr President. Could the Member for DEFA explain: what is the annual budget for this work undertaken by the Department? Where has that budget come from? Has it come from within the Department's existing bid or is this new money that has been provided? And does the Department access any external 95 sources of funding for this work from outside bodies, whether that be conservation bodies or international organisations? The President: Hon. Member. 100 Mr Cretney: I am not directly responsible for this area of the Department’s activity so I will have to come back to the Hon.