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Gough and Inaccessible Islands

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Factors affecting the property in 2000*
  • Fishing/collecting aquatic resources
  • Illegal activities
  • Invasive/alien terrestrial species
  • Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Lack of policing of industrial fishing vessels illegally fishing for tuna and swordfish
  • Insurgence of the weed Sagina cf. procumbens
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2000
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2000**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 2000

Previous deliberations:          
Twenty-third session of the Committee – paragraph X.28 and Annex VIII.

New information: IUCN has received reports indicating that the Reserve boundaries have been extended to 12 nautical miles of territorial waters thus now matching the area of the World Heritage site. The status of the Reserve has also been changed from that of a “Wilderness Reserve” to a “Nature Reserve”.

Action Required
The Bureau requests that the State Party and the St. Helena Government to confirm the information reported by IUCN. Furthermore, the Bureau invites the State Party to now consider extension of the World Heritage boundary and to report on what it can do to protect the wider marine environment.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2000

IUCN noted that the invasive species Sagina has been eradicated but urged the State Party to carefully monitor the situation to ensure that future outbreaks do not occur. IUCN noted that this experience underlines the need for strict measures to prevent a similar invasion in the future. In relation to the possible extension of the World Heritage boundary, IUCN noted the State Party has been invited to advise the Bureau on this matter. 

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2000
24 BUR IV.B.40
Gough Island (United Kingdom)

IUCN noted that it had received reports indicating that the Reserve boundaries have been extended to 12 nautical miles of territorial waters thus now matching the area of the World Heritage site. IUCN commented that the threat to the site posed by the invasive species Sagina, is being addressed through an eradication programme.

The Observer of the United Kingdom informed the Bureau that, to the best of his knowledge, the boundaries have not been officially confirmed as a formal legal process must be followed for this purpose.  Concerning the invasive species, the eradication programme has been successfully completed.

The Bureau requested that the State Party and the St. Helena Government confirm the information reported by IUCN. Furthermore, the Bureau invited the State Party to now consider extension of the World Heritage boundary and to report on what it can do to protect the wider marine environment.

24 COM VIII.iii
State of conservation reports of natural properties noted by the Committee

 State of conservation reports of natural properties noted by the Committee

Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest (Belarus/Poland)

Pirin National Park (Bulgaria)

Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon)

Gros Morne National Park (Canada)

Canadian Rocky Mountains Parks (Canada)

Comoe National Park (Côte d'Ivoire)

Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

Komodo National Park (Indonesia)

Lorenz National Park (Indonesia)

Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest (Kenya)

Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand (New Zealand)

Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)

Huascarán National Park (Peru)

Danube Delta (Romania)

Lake Baikal (Russian Federation)

Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal)

Doñana National Park (Spain)

Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka)

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda)

Gough Island (United Kingdom)

Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park (United Republic of Tanzania)

Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)

Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)

The Bureau may wish to adopt the following decision and transmit it to the Committee for noting:

“The Bureau commends the State Party and the St. Helena Government for their effective and prompt response in eradicating this invasive species. It invites the State Party to keep the future situation of the site under close review.”

Report year: 2000
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Date of Inscription: 1995
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(x)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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