UK failing to protect wildlife treasures in overseas territories, report warns

MPs say the government must take responsibility for protecting the unique species and habitats of its isolated island territories

Damian Carrington

The Guardian, Thursday 16 January 2014

The string of isolated island territories making up the last vestiges of the British empire host a treasure trove of exotic species but are inadequately protected by the UK government, an MPs' report warns.

The UK's overseas territories (UKOTs) include huge tracts of ocean, thousands of coral atolls, tropical forests and a vast polar wilderness, and stretch from the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean to the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific.

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