71°00 72°00 73°00 74°00 THE BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRItoRY The Chagos Archipelago: Its Nature and the Future Organisations supporting the environmental objectives set out Creating one contents in this brochure include: of the world’s 1 Where and what is the Chagos? 2-3 What’s so special about the The Chagos Environment Network: Chagos environment? Chagos Conservation Trust greatest natural 4-5 What’s the big idea? The Linnean Society of London 6-7 Creating a Chagos Archipelago Pew Environment Group conservation areas Conservation Area The Royal Society The Royal Society for the 8-9 The largest coral atoll in the world Protection of Birds (RSPB) 10-11 The Chagos oceans and fisheries The Zoological Society of 12-13 The massacre of Indian Ocean sharks London (ZSL) 14-15 The Chagossian people and Coral Cay Conservation History of the Chagos National Coral Reef Institute 16-17 Science and the Chagos 18-19 Chagos: climate change and The Nature Conservancy island survival UK Overseas Territories 20-21 Chagos natural treasures Conservation Forum 22-23 Hard shells: the world’s largest United Nations Environment crab, and others Programme (UNEP) 24 An inspiring example The University of Wales 25 The Chagos Conservation Trust The University of Warwick The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Published by the Chagos Conservation Trust www.chagos-trust.org Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7738 7712 All papers used in this publication are FSC-certified and the inks are vegetable-based. 71°00 72°00 73°00 74°00 10380_CH_ChagosCOVER_v10.indd 1 26/1/09 11:59:52 73°00 74°00 4°00 Where and what is the Chagos? 5°00 “In our Trust” The Coat of Arms of the British Indian Ocean Territory The Chagos Islands are in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They have belonged to Britain since 1814 (the Treaty of Paris) and are constituted as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Only Diego Garcia, where 6°00 The Chagos has the there is a base, is inhabited (by military world’s largest coral personnel and employees). The other 54 atoll and 55 tiny islands tiny islands add up to only 16 square kms in quarter of a million square miles of the (8 square miles) in total. world’s cleanest seas. It is by far Britain’s Now, before it is too late, there is an greatest area of opportunity to save this precious natural marine biodiversity. environment, creating a conservation area comparable with the Galápagos or the 7°00 Great Barrier Reef. Please support this planet-saving project and encourage the British Government to make it a reality. 1 8°00 73°00 74°00 10380_CH_ChagosArchipelagoTEXT_v10.indd 1 26/1/09 11:56:10 71°00 72°00 4°00 The cleanest sea water in the world. Pollutant levels in Chagos waters One exception was in Salomon 1 Everaarts, JM, Booij K, Fischer CV, Maas and marine life are exceptionally where small quantities of nickel YEM, Nieuwenhuize J. 1999. Assessment low. Analyses in 1996 suggested were concentrated in some marine of the Environmental Health of the that “The marine environment of life, which probably came from Chagos Archipelago. In: Sheppard CRC & Seaward MRD (eds), Ecology of the the Chagos Archipelago as a whole the fungicide used in the coconut Chagos Archipelago, Linnean Society is exceptionally pristine” and was plantation 40 years previously. London pp305–326 the cleanest water tested so far in 2 The 2006 Chagos expedition again Guitart C, Sheppard A, Frickers T, Price the world.1 Hydrocarbons found are sampled lagoon water. Analytical ARG, Readman JW. 2007. Negligible almost entirely of biological (natural) risks to corals from antifouling booster sensitivity was such that during origin. Oils, and pyrogenic (combustion) biocides and triazine herbicides in coastal sampling, no sunscreen, perfume or hydrocarbons, are present only in parts waters of the Chagos Archipelago. deodorants could be worn in case this per billion, while some particularly Marine Pollution Bulletin 54:226–246 5°00 caused contamination! Samples were toxic organic pollutants such as PCBs, then analysed in Plymouth Marine lindane and dieldrin are present in Laboratory. Again, concentrations parts per trillion only. Many others found were at mostly below detection screened showed no trace at all, even limits of 1 part per trillion, using in bird livers and other tissues which the most sensitive instrumentation concentrate pollutants. The identity of available. We conclude that Chagos those chemicals that were detected water “…could be considered suggest that they are wind borne, appropriate as a global reference rather than of local origin. Levels of baseline.”2 toxic metals were similarly lower than in most areas. 6°00 7°00 2 Turtle on seaward reef of Diego Garcia 8°00 71°00 72°00 10380_CH_ChagosArchipelagoTEXT_v10.indd 2 26/1/09 11:56:12 73°00 74°00 4°00 What’s so special about the Chagos environment? What’s there? 5°00 Creating one of the world’s greatest natural conservation areas. 6°00 The following are features The wildlife biodiversity of the Most of the Chagos is uninhabited. which make the Chagos an Chagos is very rich. It provides This is the main reason why at least 220 coral species and the ecology of the Chagos is full outstandingly important over 1,000 species of fish with a of diverse life, a rare surviving environmental site and surviving stronghold. It is also a example of nearly pristine threats which make refuge and breeding ground for tropical habitats. large and important populations comprehensive conservation Because of its mainly unspoilt of sharks, dolphins, marine so important. and healthy environment, the turtles, rare crabs, birds and other Chagos provides us with a scientific The Chagos contains some of the vulnerable marine and island benchmark for how the world could world’s healthiest coral reefs and species. In marine terms BIOT is by be without pollution and other the world’s largest surviving coral far the most biodiverse part of the 7°00 environmental degradation. This is atoll. Scientists fear that half of the UK and its Overseas Territories. evidently important in helping us world’s coral reefs could be lost by The archipelago is isolated and at to understand and deal with such 2025. It is essential to save them: the very centre of the Indian Ocean problems as pollution, loss of hundreds of millions of people in where it acts as an ‘oasis’ for marine biodiversity and climate change.1 the world depend on healthy reefs and island species (which are nearly in one way or another. Living reefs 1 all in decline elsewhere, under Sheppard CRC, Seaward MRD, Klaus R, provide food, protect beaches from Topp JMW. 1999. The Chagos Archipelago: an pressure from the effects of massive erosion and form a treasure house introduction In: Sheppard CRC & Seaward MRD recent human population growth in of genetically diverse creatures and Ecology of the Chagos Archipelago, Linnean the region). Society London pp1–20 plants. 3 8°00 73°00 74°00 10380_CH_ChagosArchipelagoTEXT_v10.indd 3 26/1/09 11:56:15 71°00 72°00 4°00 5°00 The Chagos Brain Coral, Ctenella chagius, found only in this archipelago 6°00 Sea fan - seaward reefs of Salomon atoll “It has been my dream that the whole Chagos Archipelago should be an International Marine Nature Reserve and Sanctuary…. The whole ecological structure is under threat. Fortunately all is not yet lost, though time is short. The powers-that-be, the international commune of conservation and locally focused bodies such as the Chagos Conservation Trust can work together in an effective mix of vision and management. Maybe the Chagossians 7°00 too can have a role to play. The Archipelago will even more deserve, and perhaps at last obtain, the title of World Heritage Site.” Professor David Bellamy, 2002 4 Dr Carl Lundin, World Conservation Union 8°00 71°00 72°00 10380_CH_ChagosArchipelagoTEXT_v10.indd 4 26/1/09 11:56:18 73°00 74°00 4°00 What’s the big idea? What’s the proposal? 5°00 The vision: Protecting the Chagos Archipelago and its seas as a world-class, unspoilt, natural conservation area comparable to the Galápagos and the Great Barrier Reef 6°00 “The Chagos Archipelago is comparable in size and importance to some of the world’s largest marine protected areas, such as Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, USA, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Protected Area in Australia. It performs invaluable services for the Indian Ocean, as a stepping stone, and a refuge, making it the arguably most important area of coral reef in the entire region. Chagos also stands out because of its current near-pristine state, compared with most other reef areas which are impacted by overexploitation and other stresses. As such it is likely to have a higher capacity to adapt to a changing climate. Because of this 7°00 it presents a unique opportunity to strengthen conservation and reduce biodiversity loss, provided the area is managed for these purposes, e.g. as a marine protected area. It would be a fantastic endowment to the oceans of the future. It provides a great opportunity for the UK Government to apply for a designation as a World Heritage Site.” Dr Carl Lundin, World Conservation Union (IUCN), 2008 5 8°00 73°00 74°00 10380_CH_ChagosArchipelagoTEXT_v10.indd 5 26/1/09 11:56:19 71°00 72°00 4°00 “It is important to remember that Visiting BIOT Ramsar is about the wise use of all wetlands in the territory of the Visits to BIOT (the Chagos) require a country and getting the management permit from the BIOT Administration, right.