Guernsey States approves £80,000 grant to protect wildlife

The £80,000 per year strategy will help the Environment Department manage the island's wildlife and ecology

A new plan to protect Guernsey's wildlife will be funded from the island's budget reserve.

The biodiversity strategy will get an £80,000 per year grant from the States after a vote on Wednesday.

Treasury minister, Deputy Gavin St Pier, asked the Environment Department to fund it out of its £17.8m budget.

Environment minister, Deputy Yvonne Burford, said she understood there were concerns over funding so asked for the minimum needed.

Mr St Pier told the States: "This £80,000 is a mere 0.4% of the total budget, so I do not think it is unrealistic to ask the department to fund that percentage from its total budget if it believes it is a priority."

The strategy will help the environment department protect the island's wildlife and ecology, but Mrs Burford said it was asking for much less than other islands spend.

She said: "Were we to ask for the resources applied in Jersey and the Isle of Man, which would undoubtedly have had a greater impact, the amount would have been in the order of £300,000 per year."