GONHS and Nautilus Project announce election wish list

The Nautilus Project and Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society have both revealed their election wish list.

The separate organisations both focused on the environment and climate change, asking for action on carbon emissions.

GONHS also requested for the aims of the Coalition for Climate Action to be acted upon, with fully-effective policies on transport, development, energy, pollution and waste.

Assessments of biodiversity loss inside the Gibraltar Nature Reserve and in the remaining green sites outside of the Reserve were also on the GONHS wish list.

The Society also asked for preservation and enhancement of The Mount’s mature woodland habitat in a fully natural state, respecting all structures and features and an effective biodiversity action plan to reverse biodiversity loss at North Front Cemetery.

GONHS would also like to see effective control and removal of feral cats from the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, as these pose a serious threat to native wildlife including Barbary Partridges.

At the Upper Rock, the GONHS hopes for improved signage, information booklets and wardens to enforce wildlife laws.

For planning and the urban environment, the Society calls for Tree Preservation Orders for all trees that are known to hold regular roosts of birds and continued greening of urban zones including street planting, and strategies such as nest boxes to encourage urban wildlife.

Both the GONHS and The Nautilus Project called for protection of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna and a clear target for the prompt completion of the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Both groups also requested greater enforcement of conservation laws at sea.

The Nautilus Project want to see the restoration and preservation of endangered species of Rosia Bay.

The group also requested an end to all unnecessary single use plastic, Sustainable resurfacing of the beach parks, Recycling bins placed along Main Street, all side streets and backstreets, and revision of duty on sustainable goods.

The Nautilus Project also called for a ‘boat shuttle service’ from the North Mole to all beaches, avoiding traffic congestion and parking issues, the re-introduction of sea grasses, sustainable resurfacing of the beach parks and implementation of a minimum bunkering distance of vessels from the shore.