Map of Bermuda (click to view full-size)
Background information
Legislation regarding IA
International | NationalInternational Conventions
Bermuda falls within the UK ratifications of the following international agreements:
- World Heritage Convention
- Ramsar Convention
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
- Convention on Migratory Species
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling
National
Apparently no legislation exists with specific reference to impact assessment
The following legislation implements Bermuda's natural habitat protection requirements:
- The Bermuda National Parks Act 1986
- Protection of Birds Act 1975
- Development and Planning Act 1974
- Coral Reef Reserve Act 1966
- Fisheries Act 1972
Tree Preservation Orders fall under the Development and Planning Act, Section 27.
The CITES Convention is implemented through the Endangered Animals and Plants Act of 1976, as amended.
Species protection is provided for under the Protection of Birds Act, the Tree Preservation Orders and the Protected Species Order of 1978.
More detailed information on the legislation listed above can be found through the legislation pages.
Key development areas and issues
Tourism and international business make up the key economic sectors.
Biodiversity interest
Bermuda is in fact an island group of around 150 coral limestone islets and islands around the edge of an extinct submarine volcano. There are ten main islands, which are connected by bridges or causeways, creating a chain of islands some 35km long.
Key habitats on Bermuda are scarce now, due to the extremely dense human population: over 61,000 people on 55km2 of land. Inland peat marshes of very high botanical significance exist, and cover only 48ha of the island(s). In addition, about 10% of the islands cover is woodland or forest, including the most northerly mangroves in the world - covering just 16.7ha in 1980. Coral reefs around the islands are also of significance, being the most northerly reef systems in the world. Limestone caves of various types occur, again being considered of great biological significance, some of which contain sea-level brackish pools with at least 11 endemic invertebrate species recorded.
Nearly 9,000 species have been recorded on Bermuda (1999). The Bermuda Biodiversity Project has been run to collate and map information on the islands' biodiversity resources, in order to inform conservation planning and resource use.
Although some 165 native vascular plants occur (15 of which are endemic), they are considerably outnumbered by introduced species: around 700 non-native species have been recorded from the islands. Further details about endemic species can be found on this page.
Native invertebrate species are almost equalled by non-native species: 919 native species, and around 700 non-native species recorded from the islands. Many of the native species, and the majority of the endemic species, occur in the limestone caves; again, see species information page for further information.
Some 430 fish species have been recorded, three of which are endemic to the brackish ponds. One terrestrial reptile is endemic: the Bermuda Skink Eumeces longirostris, whilst four marine turtle species occur as feeding visitors - two bred in the past, but have not been recorded as breeding since 1991. The bird fauna of the islands is large, considering their size, and totals some 350 species, although the vast majority are migrant and vagrant species - only 19 species are classed as resident, six of which are non-native. Most famous of the bird species is the Bermuda Petrel, or Cahow, (Pterodroma cahow) which was thought to be extinct from around 1620, until a small population was found breeding in 1951. The population has been nurtured carefully, and now numbers about 55 pairs.
Bermuda has some 73 species listed in the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These are summarised on this page.
Loss of habitat and (over) development have meant increased pressures from non-natives. Problem species are particularly Casuarina (shade, erosion), non-native bird species out-competing and predating native species, including the Bermuda Skink (Eumeces longirostris). Bulk of non-native species in Bermuda are invertebrates, then plants; this is in stark contrast to the situation on other UK overseas territories, where introduced plants outnumber other species (Varnham 2006).
Protected Areas
Protected areas in Bermuda are grouped in five categories, which are roughly equivalent to IUCN protected area categories. Totals are summarised below in a table:
| Protected area type | Number of sites |
|---|---|
| Nature Reserve | 12 |
| Park | 60 |
| Primeval Reserve | 2 |
| Private Reserve | 32 |
| Protected Area | 29 |
In addition to these protected areas, seven Ramsar sites have been designated, with another six proposed, covering a total area of 898ha - however, the vast majority of this is in the as-yet unconfirmed sites, with only 36.21ha currently designated. Further details can be found on the protected areas page.