LONDON — Brexit means ... bad news for penguins.

It is a little-known fact that the U.K. is responsible for more penguins than any country on earth. The downside of that — for the penguins of Britain's overseas territories, not to mention a host of other species — is that they too are affected by Brexit.

Wildlife protection groups in the U.K. and its overseas territories say they have “acute concern” for the future of EU-funded conservation projects for species in Britain and its far-flung territories overseas. They say there has been no firm commitment from the environment department that it will replace the EU cash after 2020 and fear the consequences for endangered species will be dire.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Falklands Conservation are both concerned that EU conservation programs will not be replaced. In particular they worry that without grants from LIFE (Financial Instrument for the Environment) and BEST (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories overseas) world-leading conservation efforts for rare and unique species will be put under threat.

"In the Falkland Islands we have a third of the world’s southern rockhopper penguins and gentoo penguins" — Esther Bertram, Falklands Conservation

LIFE funding, which the U.K. government has guaranteed only up until the end of the current EU spending window in 2020, has delivered more than £3 billion to conservation projects internationally since its founding in 1994.

It has aided the recovery of domestic species such as the capercaillie and bittern, the latter of which had been on the brink of extinction in Britain.

BEST is targeted at overseas territories like the Falklands, South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory — home to several species of penguin, albatross and whale.

Esther Bertram, CEO of Falklands Conservation, said that, “following a conversation with a U.K. minister” she was “acutely concerned that EU funds for wildlife in the territories following Brexit may not be replaced.”

"British Overseas Territories are home to much of the unique wildlife for which the U.K. is responsible under international agreements," she said. "We are responsible for more penguins than any other nation on earth. In the Falkland Islands we have a third of the world’s southern rockhopper penguins and gentoo penguins."

According to a recently-published government contract, Michael Gove’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has commissioned research aimed at “determining the need for a LIFE type fund in the U.K. / England.”

The study comes ahead of a U.K. government comprehensive spending review scheduled for 2019.

Against a potentially negative post-Brexit economic backdrop, and with competing spending priorities vying for the Treasury's cash, conservationists fear a post-Brexit U.K. alternative to LIFE will never win approval.

It is even less clear what will happen to BEST funding after Brexit, Alistair Taylor, senior policy officer at the RSPB, said.

“We’re really quite concerned the government isn’t committing to replace these funds, while at the same time pledging to deliver environment plans,” he said. “If there isn’t a replacement LIFE fund then those commitments in the 25-year environment plan could well be considered just empty words, in terms of what’s actually going to happen for conservation.”

If the Brexit deal agreed between London and Brussels is ratified by the House of Commons in the New Year, then all EU environmental funding up to 2020 will continue. And in a no-deal planning notice published earlier this year, the government pledged to step in to fill gaps left by the withdrawal of EU funds.

The U.K. government pledged to guarantee funding for LIFE projects approved while the U.K. was an EU member, as well as for U.K. organizations involved in LIFE projects led by other member countries that are awarded grants before the end of the current spending period in 2020.

But the long-term future of such funding streams remains uncertain, posing particular problems for a sector where lengthy lead-times are required to ensure the success of conservation projects, which often involve complex logistical operations in remote locations, and years of work.

“What happens beyond the end of that transition period? Will LIFE be replaced? Will BEST be replaced?” said Taylor. “No commitment has been made. Defra are certainly looking into it but in the absence of a commitment [it is] very difficult for conservationists to plan now for how action might be delivered going forward.”

A government spokesperson said the U.K. had "already taken a global lead in protecting our precious environment and important species" through its hosting of the recent Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, and its 25 Year Environment Plan.

“As we leave the European Union we have a unique opportunity to create an even brighter, greener future for the U.K. on our terms," the spokesperson said. "We recognise the important role public funding will continue to play in providing support to these issues, and are considering how it can best be provided after we leave the EU."