Global Invasive Species Programme Activities & Opportunities

1. Global Invasive Species Programme Activities & Opportunities ________________________________________ IABIN Council Meeting Punta del Este, May 2007

2. Overview • Brief background • Relevant activities • Future collaboration

3. Invasive Species Impacts • Livelihoods, agriculture, commerce • Mexico – Cactus cactorum • Caribbean – Mediterranean fruit fly • Americas – Coffee rust; coffee berry borer • Infrastructure and transport • Brazil – Golden Mussel • US – Zebra Mussel • Human health • Peru – cholera (ballast water) • South America – meningitis (Giant African snail) • Biodiversity • The Bahamas – Casuarina, Melaleuca • Costa Rica – Chytrid fungus (Monteverde harlequin frog; golden toad??) • Ecuador-Galapagos – Goats • US – Asian longhorn beetle, emerald ash borer

4. A Growing Threat • Global merchandise exports increasing • 2003 +13%; 2004 +21%; 2005 +13% (in terms of value) • Sea containers entering US ports doubling every decade • 1980 – 8 million; 1990 – 16 million; 2000 – 33 million • Trade related tensions over SPS issues increasing • US-APHIS: 2002 – 76; 2003 – 75; 2004 – 118 (~$4.3 billion) • Expansion of free trade agreements • Risks to increase with globalization • increasing volume of goods in trade creates more chances for introduction • more introductions lead to a greater probability that an invasive alien species will become established • increasing variety of goods and means of transport increases both the potential array of species that may be moved and their pathways for transfer • more frequent delivery of goods from and to a wider range of countries and habitats increases the rate and variety of potential introductions • faster modes of transport improve an organism’s chance of survival while in transit

5. Mission The Global Invasive Species Programme aims to conserve biodiversity and sustain human livelihoods by minimizing the spread and deleterious impacts of invasive alien species

6. Partners and Origin • Institutional partners • CAB International (CABI) • IUCN – The World Conservation Union • The Nature Conservancy (TNC) • South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) • Founded in 1997 • 1996 Trondheim Conference on Invasive Alien Species • Activities of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) • Convention on Biological Diversity initial deliberations on Invasive Alien Species

7. GISP Activities • Information tools • Country engagement • International policy efforts

8. Information tools http://www.gisp.org

9. IUCN – Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) • Global Registry on Invasive Species (GRIS) • Global compilation of invasive species lists • 38,606 geographic records for 16,051 taxa • 1,453 are known invasive species; 14,121 are potentially invasive • Allows countries to conduct initial screening for risk assessment • Only 3 months old!!! • Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) • Comprehensive information sheets on known invasives • >400 invasive species analyzed to date (continually supplemented) • http://www.issg.org/database

10. CABIInvasive Species Compendium • Compendia already established for crop protection, forestry, aquaculture, animal health and production • Compendium for invasive species under development • Compilation of existing knowledge for the management of invasive species • Targeted applications for: • Biodiversity conservation • Land/water resource management • Food security and local livelihoods • Trade facilitation (quarantine systems, risk assessment) • Inclusion of information management tools • http://cabi-isc.pbwiki.com (ISC blueprint)

11. TNC • IABIN I3N Database – Horus Institute • Weed Information Management System (WIMS) • Relational database to track invasive plant location, size and status over time, and management efforts • Linked to handheld unit with GPS coordinates • Used for site management, looking at applications for larger geographies • Geographic threat assessments • Existing invasives – marine, terrestrial, freshwater • Modeling for potential spread – S.America

12. Country Engagement • Partner Networks in Africa, Americas, Asia • CABI GEF Projects – African Barriers, Insular Caribbean; Regional offices • IUCN – Offices worldwide, Invasive Species Specialist Group • TNC – Pacific Invasives Learning Network, Country programs • GISP Regional Workshops • GISP Training Modules (general, marine invasives, economic assessments, legal frameworks, databases) • Thematic Work (economic impacts, livelihoods, trade, pathways – marine/civil aviation) • Ten Nations Initiative

13. GISP Regional Workshops Objectives: to identify regional needs and establish regional strategies Nordic Baltic : May 2001 Mesoamerica/Caribbean: June 2001 • Outcomes: • Transboundary nature • of IAS requires regional • Initiatives • Such initiatives depend • on national capacity • - National capacity building is therefore a regional priority South America: October 2001 Southern Africa: June 2002 SSE Asia: August 2002 Austral-Pacific: October 2002 West Africa: March 2004

14. GISP Engagement • Ten Nations Initiative • Highlight country leaders on invasive species prevention and management • Secure financial and technical resources • Model national strategies • Facilitate development of national systems and priorities • Identify and incorporate available tools (information systems, economic and risk assessments, legal frameworks) • Guide input into CBD COP-9

15. CABIInsular Caribbean GEF Project • Completed GEF PDF-A, applying for PDF-B • Convened planning meeting in Trinidad in January 2007 • Involves: Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago (3 of which are involved in I3N) • Stresses linkages to relevant projects, particularly IABIN-I3N and aims to build on existing database(s) • Project Component 3: Information and Knowledge Generation, Management and Dissemination • identify and use relevant ‘best practices’ • public communication, sensitisation of policy makers (to facilitate policy development) • link within-sector species inventory initiatives under wider schemes (to avoid duplication) • CABI/TNC, IABIN databases at regional level • GISIN database at global level • Goal to serve as model for other countries in the region

16. CBD-related work CBD COP has identified GISP as a lead agency in a number of invasive species activities, including development of: • Global joint work programme on prevention and management with other relevant organizations • Global Strategy for Plant Conservation – Target 10 • Indicator(s) for the 2010 Biodiversity Target

17. CBD COP-9 In Depth Review(Bonn, May 2008) • Focus • Priority needs and major obstacles • Dissemination of positive examples • National progress on • Legislative measures and national policies/strategies • Management • Assessment • Economic instruments • Provision of resources • Communication, education and public awareness • Cooperation • Supporting activities • SBSTTA-12 and 13 • National engagement • Collaboration with partners

18. Areas for Collaboration • Letter of Agreement between GISP and I3N • Complimentarity/interoperability of information services • Development and dissemination of value-added tools • National invasive species strategies • Protocols for risk and pathway assessments • Development of a Central America Invaded publication • CBD COP-9 • Identify linkages to I3N efforts • Promote country priorities within discussions • Support implementation of CBD obligations

19. Thank you • For more information contact: • Stas Burgiel, Ph.D. • GISP Technical Liaison • sburgiel@tnc.org • http://www.gisp.org