The Valley, 12th March, 2021 – The Biodiversity and Heritage Conservation Act (BHCA) was passed in 2009 and is an act which provides for the protection of biodiversity and heritage resources in Anguilla. Twelve years later, the status of certain species in Anguilla has changed in light of new information about climate change, population growth and development. As such, the following amendments to Schedule 1 of the BHCA have been made:
1. Remove the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) from Schedule 1 as it is an invasive species.
2. Add the Sombrero Ground Lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus), the Little Scrub Ground Lizard (Pholisoscelis corax), the Anguilla Bank Skink (Spondylurus powelli) and the Anguilla Bank Racer (Alsophis rijgersmaei) to Schedule 1 as these are our most endangered and critically endangered reptile species. The Sombrero Ground Lizard and Little Scrub Ground Lizard are endemic to these cays and exist nowhere else in the world.
3. Change the status of two plant species- Lignum-vitae (Guajacum officinale) from Vulnerable to Endangered, and Anguilla Bush (Rondeletia anguillensis) from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered in Schedule 1. Anguilla Bush is Anguilla’s only endemic plant species. This means that it exists in Anguilla only, and nowhere else in the world.
4. Change the status of the Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) from Endangered to Critically Endangered in Schedule 1. The Lesser Antillean Iguana is Anguilla’s native iguana species which is under severe threat by the invasive, green iguana.
Changing the conservation status of these species means that we will improve our conservation efforts to prevent them from becoming extirpated or extinct. Please note that the BHCA does not authorize the Department of Natural Resources, the Anguilla National Trust or any other conservation agency to trespass on or make decisions about private land without consent of landowners. For the avoidance of doubt, if a vulnerable, threatened, endangered or critically endangered species is known to exist on private land, consultation with and written consent of the land owners must always be obtained before any conservation actions take place. In extreme cases where the only option is to designate the area in which the species is found as a protected area, then the Government of Anguilla, once again with consultation and written consent of landowners, will enter into discussions about purchasing the property.
For the twelve years that the BHCA has been enacted, no development was stopped on account of species conservation and no private land was declared a protected area without consent of the landowners. Neither of these actions will take place with the amendments to the Act. As the government agency responsible for the management of biodiversity and ecosystems and as custodians of the BHCA, the Department of Natural Resources is trying to ensure that biodiversity and ecosystems continue to exist and function in good health in the face of changing environmental conditions. The conservation efforts of the Anguilla National Trust also support our work. This will enable the people of Anguilla to continue to benefit from biodiversity and ecosystems through the provision of food, water, medicine and protection.
For more information or for clarity regarding the contents of this press release, please contact the Department of Natural Resources at 497-0217/497-2615.
Key Definitions
• “Invasive species” means a wild life species that is introduced to a new environment and causes harm to the new environment. The spread of invasive species may also result in social and economic challenges.
• “Endangered species” means a wildlife species that is facing imminent extinction or extirpation or has been extirpated;
• “Extirpated species” means a wildlife species that no longer exists in the wild in Anguilla, but exists in the wild elsewhere in the world;
• “Extinct species” means a wildlife species that no longer exists, anywhere in the world.
• “Endemic species” means a wildlife species that is native and restricted to Anguilla and its offshore cays.
• “Critically endangered species” means a wildlife species that is facing extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in Anguilla and its offshore cays.
• “Conservation status” means the sum of the influences acting on a wild life species that may affect its long-term distribution and abundance.
– Press Release
