SOUTH ATLANTIC

Facts & figures Geography Total area: 2,204,756 km2

Total Land area: 12,590 km2 (0.57%)  Ascension Island 88 km2 (0.70%) 2  St Helena 122 km (0.96%) 2  Tristan da Cunha 207 km (1.65%) 2  Falkland Islands 12,173 km (96.69%)

Total Protected land area: 233.6 km2 (1.86%)  Ascension Island 18 km2 (7.8%) 2  St Helena 51 km (21.8%) 2  Tristan da Cunha 122 km (52.2%) 2  Falkland Islands 42.6 km (18.2%)

2,247,646 km2 (99.44%) Total Marine area (approx.) 2 Current situation & main challenges  Ascension Island 441,877 km (19.66%) Lower resolution map of the region 444,916 km2 (19.8%) o o  St Helena As a distinct set of small volcanic islands from 7 S to 37 S, Ascension Island, Saint 809,981 km2 (36.03%) Helena(higher and Tristan resolution da Cunha span and a range more of climatic detailed systems with map differing  Tristan da Cunha 550,872 km2 (24.51%) ecosystems . The Falkland Islands sit in the South-West of the Atlantic ocean at  Falkland Islands 51 shouldoS. be added to the last page of the Total Exclusive Economic 2,192,166 km2 (99.43%) Socio -economic context factsheet) Zone (EEZ): Each island has unique circumstances and need to be treated as separate entities.  On Ascension Island (ASI), the main income is created through the military 2 presence on the island, although some revenue has been generated through Marine protected area 0 km (0%) the distribution of fishing licenses. There is no resident population. All land is (MPA and/or MMA): owned by the government and civilians may only reside here as long as they have a work permit.  Due to the difficulty in accessing the island, St Helena (STH) is currently Overseas Regions Ascension Island (UK) dependent on financial aid from the British and EU Governments. However the (Governance/Dependency): St Helena (UK) construction of the first airport due to be opened in 2016 will potentially open up Tristan da Cunha (UK) the island to economic development.  With no new residents allowed to permanently settle on the island and only a Falkland Islands (UK) small area of land suitable for development, Tristan da Cunha’s (TDC) population remains small despite spanning the largest area of all three islands. Socio-economic facts The economy here is almost completely reliant on a commercial fishery of Total population/Population density: Tristan rock lobster (Janus tristani), which means growth is dependent on  Ascension Island 880 (2012) - 10/km2 production and demand. 2  St Helena 4,225 (2012) - 35/km  In the Falkland Islands (FKL), unlike the majority of South Atlantic OTs, land 2  Tristan da Cunha 297 (2014) - 1.4/km can be owned privately and full resident status can be applied for after 7 years. 2 The primary income (50-60%) is generated from the fishing industry and  Falkland Islands 2,930 (2012) - 0.24/km approximately 25% of the population is employed by the government. With large scale marine hydro-carbon exploration to start imminently (2014-15) there is Main income sources: likely to be a large impact on the local economy.  Ascension Island Military Fisheries Legal and political context  St Helena Fisheries ASI, STH and TDC are under the jurisdiction of the UK Government, presided over  Tristan da Cunha Fisheries by a Governor who is representative of the current British monarch. The Governor  Falkland Islands is based on St Helena but both other islands have an Administrator acting on their behalf. FKL is a self-governing OT of the United Kingdom (UK) with an elected Legislative Assembly, advised by a Governor who is representative of the current British monarch. All four islands are signatories of such environmental agreements as CITES, Convention on Migratory Species, RAMSAR and World Heritage Convention.

June 2015 Current conservation status Biodiversity Some of the most prominent species are mentioned below: Threats and pressures on biodiversity Endemic Species The main stresses in biodiversity across the South Atlantic are: (a) Ascension Island: 45* Climate change: Small island systems are particularly susceptible Ascension Frigatebird - Fregata aquila; to the impacts of climate change and impacts are already being Shrimp - Typhlatya rogersi; observed in all three island groups; (b) Invasive alien species: Ascension Island Parsley Fern - Anogramma These have been well documented in terrestrial habitats and have ascensionis had a proven impact on numerous species, particularly seabirds; St Helena: 501* (c) Illegal fishing: Due to the large marine areas attributed to Saint Helena plover - Charadrius sanctaeheleae; each island, it is not currently possible to effectively police them; Bastard Gumwood tree - Commidendrum rotundifolium; (d) Biosecurity: The new airport on St Helena will potentially open Black cabbage tree - Melanodendron integrifolium up the islands to more tourists and trade which could present a Tristan da Cunha: 152* biosecurity hazard that needs to be addressed Atlantic Petrel - Pterodroma incerta; Inaccessible Island rail - Atlantisia rogersi; Internationally recognised habitats of importance: Tree-fern - Blechnum palmiforme - Creation of 7 Nature Reserves and 1 Sanctuary (July 2014) on Falkland Islands: 81* Ascension Island Cobb’s wren - Troglodytes cobbi - Between them, Ascensions Islands, St Helena and Tristan da Lady’s Slipper - Calceolaria fothergillii Cunha have 7 Important Bird Area’s (IBAs) covering 88.5% of all Hairy Daisy - Erigeron incertus land area Threatened Species - 2 Tristan islands - Gough and Inaccessible - are World Heritage Ascension Island: 21* Sites Ascension Frigatebird - Fregata Aquila [VU]; - Falkland Islands has 22 IBAs and 17 Important Plant Areas Ascension Island Parsley Fern - Anogramma (IPAs) ascensionis [CR]; Evergreen Fern - Pteris adscensionis [CR] Current investments St Helena: 38* Notable ongoing projects: Saint Helena plover - Charadrius sanctaeheleae [CR]; - Darwin Initiative Mapping of Ascension Islands Terrestrial Bastard Gumwood tree – Commidendrum rotundifolium Ecosystems (2015-2016) [EW]; - Darwin Initiative Ascension Island Marine Sustainability (AIMS) Saint Helena ebony - Trochetiopsis ebenus [CR] Project (2014-2016) Tristan da Cunha: 13* - Tristan da Cunha Government and RSPB BAP (2012-2016) Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross - Thalassarche - Darwin Plus funded Endemic Plant Survey on St Helena chlororhynchos [EN]; - Darwin Initiative for Sustainable development of St Helena’s Tristan albatross - Diomedea dabbenena [CR]; fisheries (2015-2017) Wilkin’s Bunting - Nesospiza wilkinsi [EN] - GAP Project in the Falkland Islands; assessing the potential Falkland Islands: 45* impact of the hydrocarbons industry on marine fauna (2014- Southern Rockhopper Penguin - Eudyptes chrysocome 2016) [VU]; - Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the Falkland Islands (2014- Falkland Rock-cress - Phlebolobium maclovianum [EN]; 2016) Sei Whale - Balaenoptera borealis [EN] * All figures are subject to change due to ongoing research and assessment TEFRA Project – Terrestrial ecosystems of the Falklands – a IUCN Red List Threatened Criteria: CR = Critical; EN = Endangered; VU = Vulnerable climate change risk assessment Budget: € 297,280 (Best Initiative) Useful links Activities: Using botanical database to develop species  EU BEST website: distribution models to predict likely impacts of climate change on http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/best/index_e plant diversity in the Falkland Islands n.htm Results: Ongoing  South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) http://www.south-atlantic-research.org/ Critical areas for action / Investment niches  Ascension Island Government: http://www.ascension- island.gov.ac/government/conservation/ - Research into the long term effects of climate change on these  Saint Helena Government: island ecosystems, including increased collection of abiotic data http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/environment/ - Monitoring of native and invasive plant distribution, abundance and  Tristan da Cunha Government: http://www.tristandacunha.org/ ecology and development of long term strategies for habitat  Falkland Islands Government: http://www.falklands.gov.fk/  Kew Overseas Territories Online Herbarium: restoration http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/UKOT - Increased baseline data for invertebrate populations  IUCN Red List: http://www.iucnredlist.org/ - Improved baseline data needs to be collected for all the marine systems as relatively little information is currently available to be able to successfully advise future policies - Review of sustainability and by-catch rates of fisheries, in conjunction with improved marine data

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