The British Ecological Society recently submitted a response to a Foreign and Commonwealth Office consultation document supporting the creation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Chagos Archipelago. In producing the response to the consultation, the BES recognised that there may be some conflict between conservation objectives and the potential resettlement of the islands, by Chagossians who were removed from the islands in the 1960s to allow the US to establish a military base.
In February 2010 the report of a workshop was released, which considered the socio-economic issues relating to the establishment of an MPA in the Chagos Archipelago. The workshop was held on 7th January at Royal Holloway, University of London, and follows on from a scientific workshop on the same topic at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton in August 2009. Participants were invited to the workshop on the basis of their involvement or interests in Chagos, including representatives from the Chagossian Social Committee in the UK, Chagos Refugees Group Mauritius, and UK Chagos Support Association. All participants agreed that establishing an MPA recognises the importance and value of the Chagos Archipelago and is an important opportunity to provide long-term protection. The chair of the Chagos Islands (BIOT) All Party Parliamentary Group explained that the number of Chagossians wishing to return is small and hence there should not be a conflict with marine conservation.
However it was emphasised that the MPA proposal must not be used in such a way that detracts from the rights of the Chagossians. Participants agreed that the process must be done in such a way that allows the consideration of future issues with respect to resettlement or changes in jurisdiction. Some proposed the establishment of an MPA that makes provision for sustainable utilisation of natural resources if Chagossians resettle some of the islands. Many participants also voiced the opinion that representatives of Chagos and Mauritius should be closely involved in the MPA discussions, and were concerned that the initial exclusion of these groups may have already undermined the process. Since establishing a no-take MPA will require enforcement, this would certainly require involvement of Chagossians and Mauritians in MPA planning. Discussions in the workshop also raised the issue that economic analysis had been based on the current situation and did not take account of the costs of benefits of potential Chagossian resettlement or change of sovereignty.
Overall, the conclusion of the workshop was that the establishment of an MPA in the Chagos Archipelago should be done in such a way that involves all stakeholders in order to create a robust conservation area that can withstand future challenges.
A good article but a little disappointed with official response of the BES to be honest. Although I agree with the ecological conclusions the response barely pays lip service to the Chagossians. This is perhaps more of a limitation of the options provided by the government I myself backed a fourth option supported by the Marine Education Trust that put Chagossians rights and environmental protection high on the agenda.
A strange article which leaves readers in suspense. Are you trying to say that BES submitted its proposal in January without benefit of the knowledge of the Royal Holloway report? and by clearly stating the concerns raised in that report are you suggesting that the BES feels that its earlier submission was perhaps ill-informed? If you are I feel it would be sensible to be clearer and not to shy away from informing the review process on this front.
I have stated publicly in many fora that, even if you care not one jot about human rights issues, there are strong biodiversity and arguments against taking up the line that BES has supported in its submission. Both Chagossians and Mauritians are infuriated by this process – they are key stakeholders that have been sidelined. They support conservation, but now no-longer want an MPA. The political background for this MPA could shift within months – returning Chagossians or the granting of full Mauritian sovereignty to the northern atolls (currently being discussed in Westminster) would both lead to the rescinding of MPA legislation, while many of the top conservation and reef ecology experts have engendered mistrust by their actions to date.
Speaking up, even at this late hour, will at least improve the chances of establishing a strong conservation regime under a change of politics in Chagos…and it is then that conservation will be most sorely needed.
The BES response to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consultation on the MPA in the Chagos islands was formulated on the basis of scientific evidence, within the framework of the questions and options given in the consultation document.
Given the role of the BES in representing the views and knowledge of the ecological community, we are not well-placed to advise on issues relating to the wider political context surrounding the situation in the Chagos Islands. However, we do acknowledge that these issues bear on the process, and indeed we state in our response to the consultation that our recommendations are based on the current situation and should be reconsidered if necessary depending on the outcome of the proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights. In addition, our response recognises that the effectiveness of the MPA would be enhanced by engaging local communities in the conservation and management of the BIOT MPA.
The BES IS sufficiently “well-placed” to be aware that conservation does not take place in a political vacuum.
My contention is that naive scientific arguments without any political context have certainly, already alienated key stakeholders who could manage the natural resources of Chagos in as little as 6 months time. At best an opportunity has been missed, at worst the setting may be being laid for long-term environmental mis-management.
Very well written post. Just stumbled across an excellent site with UK government documents on it – http://www.officialdocumentwatch.com is a really well built site and them seem to be very up to date – always posting the latest UK government documents released to the public. Worth a look.