Blue Belt Programme

The UK Overseas Territories (OTs) are home to globally significant biodiversity. The UK Blue Belt Programme recognises this, and since 2016 has worked with the Governments of these Territories to enhance the protection and management of these precious marine environments.

The Tristan da Cunha Marine Protection Zone (MPZ) is the largest no-take zone in the Atlantic Ocean and the world's fourth-largest marine protected zone. The 687,247km2 Marine Protection Zone is almost three times the size of the UK. It is a biodiversity hotspot home to millions of seabirds, including the Tristan Albatross and the Northern Rockhopper Penguin, the rarely seen Shepherd's beaked whales, and 80% of the world's Sub-Antarctic Fur Seals.

60th Anniversary of Tristan's 1961 Volcanic Eruption : Part 1 Eruption and Evacuation

The volcanic eruption on Tristan da Cunha in October 1961 was the defining event in the island’s history as the entire community was forced to evacuate their island. After two months of worrying earth tremors, the entire population sought shelter at the Potato Patches as a threatening mound grew and threatened to erupt immediately above the village on 9th October. Overnight the mound displayed volcanic activity, pushing up hot cinders and emitting sulphurous gases...

Island Series Part 1 Southern Thule

The South Sandwich Islands are a string of eleven volcanic islands and rocks located approximately 500 km to the south east of South Georgia. The island chain stretches for over 400 km in a north to south direction. From north to south they are Zavodovski, Leskov, Visokoi, Candlemas, Vindication, Saunders, Montagu, Bristol, Bellingshausen, Cook and Thule.

The South Sandwich Islands range in size from the largest, Montague, at 110 km2 to the smallest, Leskov, at 0.3 km2. To the east of the islands lies the South Sandwich Trench, which plummets to a depth of more than 8000 m and is the deepest point in the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic.

TOURISM INCENTIVE RECOVERY PROGRAMME - (TRIP SCHEME)

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) provided various support schemes for 2020/21 due to be designed specifically to mitigate the effects of the global pandemic on the Falkland Island tourism businesses, operators and employees. This set of stamps celebrates the places visited and captured on TRIP scheme funded staycations in 2020/21 by residents...