Western Isles Biodiversity
Biodiversity Duty
In 2004 the Scottish Parliament passed a new law, the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. The Act has created a duty on public bodies “in exercising any functions, to further the conservation of biodiversity as far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions.”
The Comhairle’s Management Team has registered the importance of the biodiversity duty, agreed to deal with this duty corporately and supported the process of integrating biodiversity management corporately within existing Comhairle plans, strategies and initiatives.
The Scottish Executive, in association with SNH and CoSLA, has developed web based guidance on the delivering the Biodiversity Duty which can be viewed on the Biodiversity Scotland website.
The guidance provides advice to local authorities and other public bodies on the best way of embedding biodiversity conservation within mainstream policy and service delivery.
The guidance sets out in simple and straight forward ways the steps that councils and other public bodies could take to comply with the new biodiversity duty. The Comhairle has agreed to follow the 4 step process set out in the Scottish Executive guidance.
Biodiversity Policy Statement
The development of a Biodiversity Policy Statement is one of the initial steps in the biodiversity duty process. The biodiversity policy statement lays the foundations for delivering the biodiversity duty and is the driver for the Comhairle’s contribution to biodiversity conservation.
All aspects of the Comhairle’s operations have a potential impact on biodiversity from direct effects such as purchasing, facilities management, travel plans, grounds maintenance to the indirect effects of the Comhairle’s functions, including its plans and policies. The biodiversity policy reflects the Comhairle’s recognition of the range of these impacts, and sets out a framework for reducing negative impacts and maximising benefits to biodiversity.
The Comhairle’s Biodiversity Policy Statement was approved on 21 June 2007.
Biodiversity Policy Statement (PDF 110k)
Biodiversity Duty Working Group
A Biodiversity Duty Working Group has been established with representatives from each Department and 2 Comhairle Members. The role of the Working Group is as follows:
- Input to development of Biodiversity Duty Delivery Plan
- To consider the impacts on biodiversity of their departmental activities/functions
- To co-ordinate implementation of the relevant elements of the Delivery Plan
- To report on delivery progress for Comhairle and Scottish Government Reports
Biodiversity Duty Delivery Plan
The Comhairle’s Biodiversity Duty Delivery Plan for 2010-2011 was approved on 29 April 2010.
Biodiversity Duty Delivery Plan 2010-2011 (PDF, 60K)
Biodiversity Awareness Survey
One of the objectives of the plan is to raise awareness of biodiversity amongst Comhairle staff and Members.
A programme of awareness raising commenced during Scottish Biodiversity Week in May 2010, which included a survey offered to all staff and Members. The aim of this initial survey was to assess the current level of biodiversity awareness amongst staff and Members. It will be repeated again in 2011 to gauge the effectiveness of awareness-raising efforts throughout the year.
The survey shows that of those staff and Members that responded, there is a reasonable level of biodiversity awareness. However, the survey respondents are only a small proportion (15%) of the overall Comhairle staff as at March 2010. It is encouraging that a significant proportion of respondents value the biodiversity of the Outer Hebrides although action taken at home, in the garden and croft is limited. There is potential to increase the level of activity taken to benefit biodiversity through raising awareness generally. Respondents have indicated actions that they will realistically take to benefit biodiversity and in the next survey it will be interesting to see what action has been taken in the intervening year of awareness raising activities.
Motivations to undertake actions at home (green purchasing) and in the garden are broadly similar.
Report on Baseline Survey of Biodiversity Awareness - May 2010 (PDF, 305K)
