Information provided to BRERC is made available to others, subject to BRERC policies and discretion, using various media including websites, such as the National Biodiversity Network ‘Gateway’.
Data that BRERC treats as confidential includes information on people, details of the locations of badger setts, bat roosts, raptor nests and roosts, otter holts and details of species that English Nature or the Avon Wildlife Trust consider to be particularly sensitive or endangered. This information is not made generally available. With regard to all other data we always reserve the right to withhold data if we are not satisfied with the ‘bona fide’ nature of the request.
The names of recorders are not made generally available although we may provide names to ‘experts’ for verification purposes, or, if it is appropriate, to acknowledge recorders in publications such as the ‘Butterflies of the Bristol Region’.
BRERC policies relating to access, data protection, confidential data and charging are available on the BRERC website or can be requested from BRERC directly.
In addition, BRERC has to abide by certain policies and procedures of Bristol City Council (who administer BRERC through the Museums Service), including those relating to the Freedom of Information Act, and certain policies of the unitary authorities of North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset (who are joint partners in BRERC). The unitary authorities and English Nature also provide BRERC with Crown and other licences and we have a legal and contractual obligation to not contravene licensing conditions.
If you submit records and do not wish BRERC to make them available to others you must let us know. We do, however, expect records to be submitted without conditions placed on them since it is part of our remit to make data available.