World Wetlands Day: Events to be held in Alderney and Herm

The Atlantic grey seal is one of the species which lives in Alderney's Ramsar Convention area

People are being invited to learn about marine life living in sunken shipwrecks as well as seals and basking sharks as part of events on Alderney and Herm.

There will be a programme of activities at two Ramsar Convention areas, recognised to be wetlands of international importance.

They will involve the removal of invasive species and a crab survey.

The events are being held on Sunday in connection with World Wetlands Day, which was on Thursday.

It marks the anniversary of the signature of the Convention of Wetlands, which took place in the Iranian city, Ramsar in 1971.

It was set up to provide the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

Les Etacs, to the west of Alderney, attracts a gannet colony

Several important habitats are present in Herm, Jethou and the Humps, including eelgrass beds, maerl beds and seven sunken shipwreck reefs, which provide spawning grounds for fish.

This site also supports flatfish, shellfish, seabirds, basking sharks, sun fish, Atlantic grey seals and four species of cetacean.

Herm's event is being organised by Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services, the Clean Earth Trust, La Société Guernesiaise, Guernsey Conservation Volunteers and the Bailiwick Eelgrass Exploration Project.

Emily Coule, Herm natural environment officer, said: "Not only is this a celebration of wetlands, but the activities that we'll be carrying out will enable us to play our part in preserving a site of rich biodiversity."

Herm, a Ramsar Convention area, is home to a range of marine species

In Alderney the wildlife trust will hold a Winter-Walkover across Platte Saline towards Hannaine Bay, involving a beach clean and the mapping of invasive species, with discussions on climate change.

The Ramsar site is home to "internationally important populations of seabirds", a seal colony and a "highly diverse marine ecosystem," a spokesperson for the trust said.

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2023 is "It's Time for Wetlands Restoration", stressing the importance of not just protecting, but also restoring wetland habitat.

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