Ancient rights which allow people to extract upland peat for fuel have been revoked by Tynwald – in a bid to protect important carbon stores and reduce emissions.
Globally, peatlands account for one third of the world’s terrestrial carbon and the Island’s upland peat reserves are a significant carbon store. Research carried out by the Isle of Man Government and the Manx Wildlife Trust in 2019 estimates that there may be as much as 20 million tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) stored within Manx peat soils.
Last week, Tynwald supported a motion tabled by Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for the Environment, Food and Agriculture to revoke the Public Turbary Byelaws from the Forestry Act 1984. This will come into effect on 1 August 2020.
Until now people looking to take up the right to extract peat from the Island’s only public turbary.
Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for the Environment, Food and Agriculture, said:
‘It’s incredibly important we protect this precious resource as it sequesters and stores atmospheric carbon – which when cut, dried and burnt is released back into the atmosphere.
‘Noting the the damage caused to our uplands and climate by the extraction and burning of turf, my Department no longer considers it necessary or appropriate to have a public turbary on the Island.’
Historically peat was the main fuel source for many Manx families but quickly fell out of favour when coal imported from the UK became widely available.
The Climate Change Bill, for which a public consultation was launched this week, outlines further proposals to protect the Island’s peatlands.
