Product Code Database
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and government institutions, so qualifies as a microstate or island country. Located in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of north-west France, it is the largest of the Channel Islands and is from Normandy's Cotentin Peninsula. The Bailiwick consists of the main island of Jersey and some surrounding uninhabited islands and rocks including Les Dirouilles, Les Écréhous, Les Minquiers, and Les Pierres de Lecq.
Jersey was part of the Duchy of Normandy, whose dukes became kings of England from 1066. After Normandy was lost by the kings of England in the 13th century, and the ducal title surrendered to France, Jersey remained loyal to the English Crown, though it never became part of the Kingdom of England. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Jersey was at the frontline of Anglo-French Wars and was invaded a number of times, leading to the construction of fortifications such as Mont Orgueil Castle and a thriving smuggling industry. During the Second World War, the island was invaded and occupied for five years by the armed forces of Nazi Germany. The island was liberated on 9 May 1945, which is now celebrated as the island's national day.
Jersey is a self-governing parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, with its own financial, legal and judicial systems, and the power of self-determination. Jersey's constitutional relationship is with the The Crown; it is not part of the United Kingdom. The Bailiff is the civil head, president of the states and head of the judiciary; the lieutenant governor represents the head of state, the British monarch; and the chief minister is the head of government. Jersey's defence and international representation – as well as certain policy areas, such as nationality law – are the responsibility of the UK government, but Jersey still has a separate international identity.
The island has a large financial services industry, which generates 40% of its GVA. British cultural influence on the island is evident in its use of English as the main language and the pound sterling as its primary currency. Additional British cultural similarities include: driving on the left, access to British television, newspapers and other media, a school curriculum following that of England, and the popularity of British sports, including football and cricket. The island also has a strong Norman-French culture, such as its historic dialect of the Norman language language, Jèrriais, being one of only two places in Normandy with government status for the language (the other being Guernsey), as well as the use of standard French in legal matters and officially in use as a government language, strong cultural ties to mainland Normandy as a part of the Normandy, and place names with French or Norman origins. The island has very close cultural links with its neighbouring islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and they share a good-natured rivalry.
Andium, Agna and Augia were used in antiquity. Antonine Itinerary, fourth century
Scholars variously surmise that Jersey and Jèrri derive from (Old Norse for 'earth') or earl]] ('earl'), or perhaps the Norse personal name Geirr (thus Geirrsey, 'Geirr's Island'). The ending denotes an island,
as in Guernsey or Surtsey.
Archaeological evidence of Ancient Rome influence has been found, in particular at Les Landes. Christianity was brought to the island by migrants from Brittany in c. fifth – sixth century CE. In the sixth century, the island's patron saint Helier lived at the Hermitage on L'Islet (now Elizabeth Castle). Legend states that Helier was beheaded by raiders and subsequently lifted his head and walked to shore.
During the Tudor period, the split between the Church of England and the Vatican led to islanders adopting the Protestant religion. During the reign of Elizabeth I, French refugees brought strict Calvinism to the island, which remained the common religion until 1617. In the late 16th century, islanders travelled across the North Atlantic to participate in the Newfoundland fisheries.
In recognition for help given to him during his exile in Jersey in the 1640s, King Charles II of England gave Vice Admiral Sir George Carteret, bailiff and governor, a large grant of land in the American colonies in between the Hudson River and Delaware River rivers, which he promptly named New Jersey. It is now a state in the United States.
The 19th century saw the improvement of the road network under General Don, the construction of two railway lines, the improvement of transport links to England, and the construction of new piers and harbours in St Helier. This grew a tourism industry in the island and led to the immigration of thousands of English residents, leading to a cultural shift towards a more anglicised island culture. Island politics was divisively split between the conservative Laurel party and the progressive Rose party, as the lie of power shifted increasingly to the States from the Crown. In the 1850s, the French author Victor Hugo lived in Jersey, but was expelled for insulting the Queen Victoria, so he moved on to Guernsey.
Jersey Heritage is inviting locals to nominate sites of natural and cultural significance for potential UNESCO Global Geopark status, highlighting geological features like Anne Port and Portelet Bay alongside historical landmarks such as Le Dolmen des Geonnais and St Clement's Church, to showcase Jersey's unique heritage and join the network of 213 Global Geoparks worldwide.
Because Jersey is a dependency of the British Crown, King Charles III reigns in Jersey. "The Crown" is defined by the Law Officers of the Crown as the "Crown in right of Jersey". The King's representative and adviser in the island is the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey – Vice-Admiral Jerry Kyd since 8 October 2022. He is a point of contact between Jersey ministers and the UK Government and carries out some functions in relation to immigration control, deportation, naturalisation and the issue of passports.
In 1973, the Royal Commission on the Constitution set out the duties of the Crown as including: ultimate responsibility for the 'good government' of the Crown Dependencies; ratification of island legislation by Order-in-Council (royal assent); international representation, subject to consultation with the island authorities before concluding any agreement which would apply to them; ensuring the islands meet their international obligations; and defence.
From the 2022 elections, the role of senators was abolished and the eight senators were replaced with an increased number of deputies. The 37 deputies are now elected from nine super constituencies, rather than in individual parishes. Although efforts were made the remove the connétables, they will continue their historic role as states members.
There are also five non-voting members appointed by the Crown: the bailiff, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, the Dean of Jersey, the attorney general and solicitor general. The Bailiff is President (presiding officer) of the States Assembly, head of the judiciary and as civic head of the island carries out various ceremonial roles.Gindill, J. (n.d.) The Role of the Office of Bailiff: The Need for Reform . University of Durham.
The Council of Ministers, consisting of a chief minister and nine ministers, makes up the leading body of the government of Jersey. Each minister may appoint up to two assistant ministers. A chief executive is head of the civil service.States of Jersey Official Report, 3 May 2011, 5.1. Statement by the Chief Minister regarding the appointment of a new Chief Executive to the Council of Ministers. Some governmental functions are carried out in the island's parishes.Legislation Committee (2001) R.2001/120 – THE WORKING PARTY ON PARISH ASSEMBLIES: REPORT. Presented to the States, 4 December 2001. States Greffe. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
Jersey law has been influenced by several different legal traditions, in particular Norman law, English common law and modern French civil law.See generally
and Jersey's legal system is therefore described as 'mixed' or 'Legal pluralism', and sources of law are in French and English languages, although since the 1950s the main working language of the legal system is English.Hanson, Timothy (2005). "The Language of the Law: The Importance of French". The Jersey Law Review.The principal court is the Royal Court, with appeals to the Jersey Court of Appeal and, ultimately, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Bailiff is head of the judiciary; the Bailiff and the Deputy Bailiff are appointed by the Crown. Other members of the island's judiciary are appointed by the Bailiff.
Although diplomatic representation is reserved to the Crown, Jersey has been developing its own international identity over recent years. It negotiates directly with foreign governments on various matters: for example, tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs) have been signed directly by the island with several countries. The government maintains offices (some in partnership with Guernsey) in Caen, London and Brussels.
Jersey is a member of the British-Irish Council, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.
Jersey independence has in the past been discussed in the States Assembly. Former external relations minister Sir Philip Bailhache has at various times warned that the island may need to become independent. It is not Jersey government policy to seek independence, but the island is prepared if needs to do so.
Jersey is a third-party European country to the EU. Since 1 January 2021, Jersey has been part of the UK-EU Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement for the purposes of goods and fishing. Goods exported from the island into Europe are not subject to , and Jersey is solely responsible for management of its territorial waters; however, permits may be granted to EU fishermen who have a history of fishing in the Bailiwick's waters. The management of this permit system has caused tension between the French and Jersey authorities, with the French threatening to cut off Jersey's electricity supply in May 2021. Before the end of the transition period after the UK withdrew from the EU in 2020, Jersey had a special relationship with the EU. It was part of the EU customs union and there was free movement of goods between Jersey and the EU, but the single market in financial services and free movement of people did not apply to Jersey.
Jersey also has close relations with Portugal, including the exchangement of tax information; these relations are specifically strong with the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where St. Helier has one of its sister cities, Funchal.
The parishes have various civil administrative functions, such as roads (managed by the Road Committee) and policing (through the Honorary Police). Each parish is governed through direct democracy at parish assemblies, consisting of all eligible voters resident in the parish. The Procureurs du Bien Public are the legal and financial representatives of these parishes.
The parishes of Jersey are further divided into (or, in St Ouen, cueillettes).
About 24% of the island is built-up. Land area dedicated to cultivation is 52% of the island, and around 18% is natural environment.
It lies within longitude -2° W and latitude 49° N. It has a coastline that is long and a total area of . It measures roughly from west to east and north to south, which gives it the affectionate name among locals of "nine-by-five".
The island is characterised by a number of valleys which generally run north-to-south, such as Waterworks Valley, Grands Vaux, Mont les Vaux, although a few run in other directions, such as Le Mourier Valley. The highest point on the island is Les Platons at .
There are several smaller island groups that are part of the Bailiwick of Jersey, such as Les Minquiers and Les Écrehous, however unlike the smaller islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, none of these are permanently inhabited.
Outside of the town, many islanders live in suburban and rural settlements, especially along main roads leading out of town, and even the more rural areas of the island have considerable amounts of development (St Ouen, the least densely populated parish, still has 270 persons per square kilometre). The south and east coasts from St Aubin to Gorey are largely urbanised. The second smaller urban area is the Les Quennevais area in St Brelade, which is home to a small precinct of shops, a school, a park, and a leisure centre.
Most people across Jersey regularly travel from the rural settlements to St Helier and from the town to the rural areas for work and leisure purposes.
Housing costs in Jersey are very high. The Jersey House Price Index has at least doubled between 2002 and 2020. The mix-adjusted house price for Jersey is £567,000, higher than any UK region (UK average: £249,000) including London (average: £497,000; highest of any UK region).
In 2011, Jersey generated controversy for calling itself "the warmest place in the British Isles" during an advertising campaign, as Jersey is neither the place with the highest maximum temperature in the British Isles ( was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022) or the highest winter temperatures in the British Isles (which would be the Isles of Scilly).
Typical wind speeds vary between and . During the cooler months, extratropical cyclones can produce Gale somewhat regularly.
Snow is very rare in Jersey. The last significant snowfall event occurred in March 2013, when fell. The most recent measurable snowfall occurred on 8–9 January 2024, when fell. Initially, a fall of only had been forecast, so the event was more significant than expected.
Extreme weather is rare due to the island's mild climate. Spring and summer thunderstorms originating from the European mainland occasionally occur, but are usually not severe. Thunderstorms advecting north from the Bay of Biscay tend to occur during the summer if the influence of the Azores High temporarily weakens and a cut-off low develops in the region. Cool season thunderstorms are more common compared with other parts of Europe, as the relatively warm sea-surface temperatures drive moderate surface-based convection into the cold, dry air aloft. This tends to result in Hail and weak driven by convection and frequent shear brought on by .
In November 2023, Jersey was hit by extratropical Storm Ciarán, causing heavy rainfall, extremely high winds with gusts of up to . – Jersey Fire & Rescue A supercell thunderstorm associated with the cold front of this system hit Jersey at around midnight on 2 November 2023. With severe wind shear and a significant temperature contrast of the upper atmosphere and sea surface, the storm produced extremely large hail and a tornado, which devastated the eastern half of the Island and was subsequently TORRO scale, making it one of the most severe tornadoes ever recorded in the British Isles.
The Government of Jersey's official meteorological department provides a five-day forecast for Jersey and Guernsey, including detailed shipping forecasts and aviation forecasts.
The following table contains the official data for 1981–2010 at Jersey Airport, located from St. Helier.
| +Economic sectors in Jersey by GVA (2019) !rowspan=2 | Sector !colspan=2 | Gross value added |
Jersey is one of the world's largest offshore finance centres. The UK acts as a conduitan intermediate financial services market which funnels funds onwardsfor financial services between European countries and the island. This sector has attracted controversy: Some critics and detractors have called Jersey a place where the "leadership has essentially been captured by global finance, and whose members will threaten and intimidate anyone who dissents."
Tourism is an important economic sector for the island, however travel to Jersey is very seasonal. Accommodation occupancy is much higher in the summer months, especially August, than in the winter months (with a low in November). The majority of visitors to the island Jersey Airport from the UK. On 18 February 2005, Jersey was granted Fairtrade Town status. In 2017, 52% of the Island's area was agricultural land (a decrease since 2009). Major agricultural products are potatoes and dairy produce. Jersey cattle are a small breed of cow widely known for their rich milk and cream; the quality of their meat is also appreciated on a small scale. The herd total in 2009 was 5,090 animals. Fisheries and aquaculture make use of Jersey's marine resources to a total value of over £6 million in 2009.
Along with Guernsey, Jersey has its own lottery called the Channel Islands Lottery, which was launched in 1975.
There is a 20% standard rate for Income Tax and a 5% standard rate for GST. The island has a 0% default tax rate for corporations; however, higher rates apply to financial services, utility companies and large corporate retailers. Jersey is considered to be a tax haven. Until March 2019 the island was on the EU tax haven blacklist, but it no longer features on it. In January 2021, the chair of the EU Tax Matters Subcommittee, Paul Tang, criticised the list for not including such "renowned tax havens" as Jersey. In 2020, Tax Justice ranked Jersey as the 16th on the Financial Secrecy Index, below larger countries such as the UK, but still placing it at the lower end of the 'extreme danger zone' for offshore secrecy'. The island accounts of 0.46% of the global offshore finance market, making it a small player in the total market. In 2020, the Corporate Tax Haven Index ranked Jersey eighth for 2021, with a haven score (a measure of the jurisdiction's systems to be used for corporate tax abuse) of 100 out of 100; however, the island only has 0.51% on the Global Scale Weight ranking.
The public bus network in Jersey has been regulated by the Government since 2002, replacing a de-regulated, commercial service. It is operated on a sole-operator Franchising model, currently contracted to LibertyBus, a company owned by Kelsian Group. LibertyBus also operate the school bus services.Villeneuve-Smith, Frank (2018). . HCT Group (hctgroup.com). Retrieved 23 May 2022. There is also a taxi network and an electronic bike scheme (EVie). Jersey has an Jersey Airport and a number of ports, which are operated by Ports of Jersey.
In July 2014, the Jersey Financial Services Commission approved the establishment of the world's first regulated Bitcoin fund, at a time when the digital currency was being accepted by some local businesses.
Nationality law in Jersey is conferred by the British Nationality Act 1981 extended to the island by an Order in Council with the consent of the States of Jersey. British nationality law confers British citizenship onto those with suitable connections to Jersey. The Lieutenant Governor's office issues (specifically the Jersey variant) to British citizens with a connection to Jersey by residency or birth.
Jersey is part of the Common Travel Area (CTA), a zone which encompasses the Crown Dependencies, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. This means that for citizens of the Common Travel Area jurisdictions a passport is not required to travel from Jersey to any of these jurisdictions (or vice versa), though the Government recommends all travellers bring photo ID since it may need to be checked by customs or police officers, and is generally required by commercial transport providers into the island. Due to the CTA, Jersey-born British citizens in the rest of the CTA and British and Irish citizens in Jersey have the right to access social benefits, access healthcare, access social housing support and to vote in general elections.
For non-CTA travel, Jersey maintains its own immigration and border controls (although most travel into the Bailiwick is from the rest of the CTA), however UK immigration legislation may be extended to Jersey (subject to exceptions and adaptations) following consultation with Jersey and with Jersey's consent.
To control population numbers, Jersey operates a system of registration which restricts the right to live and work in the island according to certain requirements. To move to Jersey or work in Jersey, everyone (including Jersey-born people) must be registered and have a registration card. There are a number of statuses:
From the early 19th century, the island's economic boom attracted economic migrants. By 1841, of the 47,544 population, 11,338 were born in the British Isles outside of Jersey. From the 1840s onwards, agricultural workers came from neighbouring Brittany and mainland Normandy, both due to the booming economy of Jersey and the economic situation in northern France. The new potato season coincided with the time of least agricultural activity in Brittany and Normandy. While many returned to France, some settled in the island.
Between 1851 and 1921, the Jersey population fell by 12.8% (possibly up to 18%). The economic boom ended in the 1850s leading to significant emigration, including to British colonies. A 1901 report by the States concluded that by 1921, the number of births to foreign-born fathers would be equal to those to Jersey-born fathers, describing the immigration situation as a "formidable invasion, although peaceful", and predicted this would have a large impact on the island's socio-political situation.
After World War II, when the island had only 55,244 residents, it saw a period of rapid population increase. By 1991, the population was 84,082. The booming tourism industry required a large volume of relatively low cost labour, so the island turned to Madeira for seasonal staff. Between 1961 and 1981, the Portuguese-born population grew 0.2% to 3.1% of the population. In 2021, this figure was 8%. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the new source of cheap labour for the island has been Polish people, whose population has grown from non-existent to 3%.
Immigration has helped give aspects of Jersey a distinct urban character, particularly in and around the parish of St Helier. This has led to ongoing debates about the incompatibility of development and sustainability throughout the island.Johnson, Henry (2016) Encountering Urbanization on Jersey: Development, Sustainability, and Spatiality in a Small Island Setting . Urban Island Studies.
According to a 2015 survey of islanders, 54% of adults have a religion. Christianity is the predominant religion in the island, with over half of islanders identifying as Christian in some form. The largest belief demographic is "no religion" with 39% of the population.
| +Religion in Jersey !Religion !Percentage (2015) | |
| Irreligion | 39% |
| All religious | 54% |
| Anglican | 23% |
| Catholic | 22.5% |
| Other Christian | 6.8% |
| Other religion | 3% |
The Jersey Eisteddfod is an annual festival celebrating local culture. It is split into performing arts (e.g. dance, music, modern languages) and creative arts (e.g. needlework, photography, craft).
The island has produced a number of notable artists. John St Helier Lander (1868–1944) was a portrait painter born in St Helier in 1868; he was a portraitist for the Royal Family.Anonymous (1944). Mr. J. St H. Lander. The Times 15 February 1944 p 6 Edmund Blampied also lived around the same period; he was known for his and drypoint. Other famous historic artists include John Le Capelain, John Everett Millais and Philip Ouless. There are also several contemporary Jersey artists, such as Ian Rolls, known for painting quirky landscape paintings.
Jersey also has historic connections to French art. French artist René Lalique created the stained glass windows at St Matthew's Church. No similar Lalique commission survives elsewhere in the world. Artist partners Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore were born in France but moved to and died in the island.
Bailiwick Express is one of Jersey's digital online news sources. Jersey has only one newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post, which is printed six days a week, and has been in publication since 1890.
In contemporary music, Guru Josh, who was born in Jersey, produced House music and techno music. He was most notable for his internationally successful debut hit Infinity and its re-releases, reaching number one in numerous European countries. Rock and pop artist Nerina Pallot was raised on the island and has enjoyed international success, and has written songs for famous artists like Kylie Minogue.
The island has a summer music festival scene stretching from mid-June to late September including Good Vibrations, Out-There, the Weekender (the largest festival in the Channel Islands) and Electric Park.
The Odeon Cinema was opened 2 June 1952 and was later rebranded in the early 21st century as the Forum cinema. Its owners, however, struggled to meet tough competition from the Cineworld Cinemas group, which opened a 10-screen multiplex on the waterfront centre in St. Helier on reclaimed land in December 2002, and the Odeon closed its doors in late 2008. The Odeon is now a listed building.
First held in 2008, the Branchage attracts filmmakers from all over the world. The 2001 movie The Others was set on the island in 1945 shortly after liberation.
Jersey milk being very rich, cream and butter have played a large part in insular cooking. Jersey Royal potatoes are the local variety of new potato, and the island is famous for its early crop of Chats (small potatoes) from the south-facing côtils (steeply sloping fields). They were originally grown using vraic as a natural fertiliser, giving them their own individual taste; only a small portion of those grown in the island still use this method. They are eaten in a variety of ways, often simply boiled and served with butter or when not as fresh fried in butter.
Apples historically were an important crop. Bourdélots are apple dumplings, but the most typical speciality is black butter (lé nièr beurre), a dark spicy spread prepared from apples, cider and spices. Cider used to be an important export. After decline and near-disappearance in the late 20th century, apple production is being increased and promoted. Besides cider, apple brandy is produced. Other production of alcohol drinks includes wine, and in 2013 the first commercial made from Jersey Royal potatoes were marketed.
Among other traditional dishes are cabbage loaf, Jersey wonders (les mèrvelles), fliottes, bean crock (les pais au fou), Urtica dioica (ortchie) soup, and vraic buns.
The Jersey Football Association supervises football in Jersey. As of 2022, the Jersey Football Combination has nine teams in its top division. Jersey national football team plays in the annual Muratti competition against the other Channel Islands. Rugby union in Jersey comes under the auspices of the Jersey Rugby Association (JRA), which is a member of the Rugby Football Union of England. Amateur side, Jersey RFC, won the English Regional Two South Central Division in the 2023/24 season and will play in fifth tier Regional One South Central next campaign.
Jersey Cricket Board is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Jersey. Jersey Cricket Board is Jersey's representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC). It has been an ICC member since 2005 and an associate member since 2007. The Jersey cricket team plays in the Inter-insular match, as well as in ICC tournaments around the world in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.
For Horse racing, Les Landes Racecourse can be found at Les Landes in St. Ouen next to the ruins of Grosnez Castle.
Jersey has two public indoor swimming pools: AquaSplash, St Helier and Les Quennevais, St Brelade. Swimming in the sea, windsurfing and other marine sports are practised. Jersey Swimming Club has organised an annual swim from Elizabeth Castle to Saint Helier Harbour for over 50 years. A round-island swim is a major challenge: the record for the swim is Ross Wisby, who circumnavigated the island in 9 hours 26 minutes in 2015. The Royal Channel Island Yacht Club is based in St Brelade. About. Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
Two professional golfers from Jersey have won the Open Championship seven times between them; Harry Vardon won six times and Ted Ray won once, both around the turn of the 20th century. Vardon and Ray also won the U.S. Open once each. Harry Vardon's brother, Tom Vardon, had wins on various European tours.
Jersey Sport, an independent body that promotes sports in Jersey and support clubs, was launched in 2017.
The of Jèrriais differ in phonology and, to a lesser extent, lexis between parishes, with the most marked differences to be heard between those of the west and east. Many place names are in Jèrriais, and French and English place names are also to be found. Anglicisation of the place names increased apace with the migration of English people to the island.
As Jèrriais was not an official language in Jersey, it had no standard written form, which meant that Jersey literature is very varied, written in multiple forms of Jèrriais alongside Standard English and French.
Matthew Le Geyt was the first poet to publish in Jèrriais after the introduction of printing to the island in the 18th century. Philippe Le Sueur Mourant wrote in Jèrriais in the 19th century. Jerseyman George d'la Forge is named the 'Guardian of the Jersey Norman Heritage'. Though he lived in America for most of his life, he felt a strong attachment to Jersey and his native language. His works were turned into books in the 1980s.
After the failure of the 1848 revolution, thirty-nine French revolutionaries were exiled in Jersey, including the famous French author Victor Hugo, as Jersey's culture had a relation to their native French. Gerald Durrell, the famous zoologist who set up Jersey Zoo, was also an author, writing novels, non-fiction and children's books. He wrote in order to fund and further his conservation work.
As of 2022, there are 24 States primary schools, seven private primary or preparatory schools, four comprehensive States secondary schools, two fee-paying States secondary schools, two private secondary schools and one provided grammar school and sixth form, Hautlieu School.
Highlands College provides alternative post-16 and all post-18 education available on the island. However, higher education facilities are limited, so many students study off-island. In the UK, Jersey students pay the same rate as Home students.
Jersey is the home of the Jersey Zoo (formerly known as the Durrell Wildlife Park) founded by the naturalist, zookeeper and author Gerald Durrell.
The red-billed chough became extinct in Jersey around 1900, when changes in farming and grazing practices led to a decline in the coastal slope habitat required by this species. Birds on the Edge, a project between the Government of Jersey, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and National Trust for Jersey, is working to restore Jersey's coastal habitats and reinstate the red-billed chough (and other bird species) to the island.
Four species of reptiles occur on Jersey: western green lizard, Podarcis muralis, slow worm, and barred grass snake. There are three species of amphibians: spiny toad (known locally as the Crapaud), agile frog, and palmate newt. All are protected species, with Jersey being the only native habitat in the British Isles for the green lizard, wall lizard, spiny toad and agile frog.
The remaining population of agile frogs on Jersey is very small and is restricted to the south west of the island. The species is the subject of an ongoing programme to save it from extinction in Jersey via a collaboration between the Government of Jersey, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Jersey Amphibian and Reptile Group (JARG), with support and sponsorship from several other organisations. The programme includes captive breeding and release, public awareness and habitat restoration activities.
Notable marine species include the ormer, Conger conger, bass, Raja undulata, Mugil cephalus, ballan wrasse and garfish. Marine mammals include the bottlenosed dolphin and grey seal.
Trees generally considered native are the Alnus glutinosa, silver birch, sweet chestnut, Corylus avellana, hawthorn, Fagus sylvatica, ash, Populus tremula, Prunus avium, Prunus spinosa, Quercus ilex, Quercus robur, Salix cinerea, Sambucus nigra, Ulmus and medlar. Among notable introduced species, the cabbage palm has been planted in coastal areas and may be seen in many gardens. Trees in Jersey, The Jersey Association of Men of the Trees, Jersey 1997,
Historically the island has given its name to a variety of overly-large cabbage, the Jersey cabbage, also known as Jersey kale or cow cabbage.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive species that threatens Jersey's biodiversity.
It is easily recognisable and has hollow stems with small white flowers that are produced in late summer. Other non-native species on the island include the Colorado beetle, burnet rose and oak processionary moth.
The States of Jersey Fire Service was formed in 1938 when the States took over the Saint Helier Fire Brigade, which had been formed in 1901. The first lifeboat was equipped, funded by the States, in 1830. The RNLI established a lifeboat station in 1884. Border security and customs controls are undertaken by the States of Jersey Customs and Immigration Service. Jersey has adopted the 112 emergency number alongside its existing 999 emergency number.
Electricity in Jersey is provided by a sole supplier, Jersey Electricity, of which the States of Jersey is the majority shareholder. Jersey imports 95 per cent of its power from France. 35% of the imported power derives from Hydroelectricity and 65% from nuclear power. Jersey Electricity claims the carbon intensity of its electricity supply is 35g CO2 e / kWh compared to 352g CO2 e / kWh in the UK.
|
|
