A leading local conservationist has given a damning verdict on the rationalisation of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Director of the Manx Wildlife Trust Duncan Bridges says dissolving DAFF's Wildlife and Conservation Division will set back conservation and widlife protection in the Isle of Man by 20 years.
The department's six divisions are to be slimmed down to four, namely Agriculture; Fisheries; Forestry, Amenity and Lands; and Corporate Services.
Staff at the Wildlife and Conservation Division are being relocated to the divisions most relevant to their specialist skills.
Agriculture Minister Phil Gawne hopes they will be able to work even more effectively under the new structure, but Mr Bridges says it's a backward step and he's is concerned about how wildlife issues will be dealt with in the future.
He also says it doesn't bode well for the Isle of Man's chances of complying with the Rio Convention, which asks countries to take every effort to ensure there is no net loss of biodiversity within their territories:
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