Cooperative Initiative on Island Invasive Alien Species

A Cooperative Initiative to Manage Threats of Alien Species to Island Biodiversity  (1 July 2001)

Objective

The objective of the Islands Cooperative Initiative on Invasives is to facilitate cooperation in key areas of invasive alien species management where it will generate a significant improvement in the conservation of island biological diversity. The initiative will have immediate results, building on work already occurring (particularly in relation to island eradications); as well as long term results from increased knowledge, capacity and cooperation. The initiative is deliberately focused on threats posed by invasive alien species to island biological diversity (as opposed to threats to agriculture, health etc), in order to provide a manageable proposal.

1. Background

It has become clear to most people working on alien species threats to biodiversity that islands (and other geographically and evolutionary isolated places) are different from continental situations in a number of ways. They are more vulnerable to invasions and more likely to suffer catastrophic loss of biodiversity as a result of invasions, but are also more likely to respond to successful eradication and border control methods to reduce or remove threats.

The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) meeting in September 2000 identified islands as a special case warranting cooperative initiatives and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) also recognises the very urgent need to deal with invasive alien species issues in isolated and vulnerable ecosystems. Existing cooperative efforts show that even where there are major differences in climate, politics, language, etc., the experience of one island country can provide valuable input into work in other islands.

The IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), together with New Zealand agencies, and under the umbrella of GISP, has started to develop this concept. At a meeting held during the subsidiary body to the Convention on Biological Diversity (SBSTTA 6) in Montreal, Canada, in March 2001, representatives from small island states and from states with islands gave whole-hearted support to this concept, and the Plenary Meeting formally endorsed it in a recommendation to the CBD Secretariat:

"Endorses the call for an island cooperation initiative and welcomes the offer of New Zealand, the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group and the Global Invasive Species Programme to explore means to establish such an initiative." (VI/4, 18 in report of SBSTTA6)

The concept for such a cooperative initiative on island invasives has also been circulated for further discussion to:

• Island biodiversity managers from a range of countries;
• The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP);
• International environmental NGOs;
• ISSG specialist network (global);
• Interested participants at GISP regional workshop (Mesoamerica and Caribbean).

Those discussions resulted in strong support for proceeding with the idea, and specific feedback has been incorporated. Further development and implementation of the islands cooperative initiative will continue to include consultation with any interested government, government agency, practitioners, NGOs and other stakeholders. If you wish to participate in this discussion, please contact Alan Saunders at a.saunders@auckland.ac.nz

2. Key Areas for Cooperation and Cooperative Programmes

There are four key areas where a cooperative initiative may be of particular value:

• Undertaking the eradication of alien species from islands;
• Undertaking management of alien species populations on islands, where eradication is not currently feasible, to low levels that allow recovery of biodiversity values;
• Training and other capacity enhancement activities;
• Undertaking quarantine and contingency response activities to prevent the establishment of new populations of alien species that might threaten ecosystems or species (including by controlling movement within national borders).

Note: The term "management" is used to cover prevention, containment, eradication and control actions (or a subset of those suggested by the context).

Given the proposed scope, cooperative programmes might cover:

• Capacity building related to quarantine, containment, eradication or control programmes (e.g. training, skill sharing, technology transfer);
• Designing, establishing and evaluating programmes for early prevention and/or detection of island invasives;
• Planning, undertaking and evaluating eradication programmes;
• Designing, establishing and evaluating containment and control programmes;
• Providing technical advice and support to ongoing management programmes.

Note: Cooperation would span the range from formal government-to-government cooperation to informal practitioners' or individuals' cooperation, at whatever organisational level or scale achievements would result in enhanced islands biological diversity conservation.

3. Which Islands?

The initiative will encompass all islands that have significant biodiversity, including small island states and offshore and oceanic islands of continental states. It will include both developing and developed country islands.

4. Components of the Islands Cooperative Initiative

It is proposed that a comprehensive database of invasive alien species that threaten island biodiversity be developed and progressively populated. The database will cover the characteristics and distribution of island invasives, together with prevention, eradication and control methods. This database will draw on existing scientific and management information, and a wide range of parties will contribute additional information. It will be integrated with the GISP Global Invasive Species Database (developed by ISSG) which already has a focus on invasive alien species that are of relevance to island biodiversity.

4.2. Information on Experience and Expertise

It is proposed that a comprehensive "information base" of experience and expertise be developed and maintained. This would document "who is doing what, where", programmes which have been undertaken (cooperatively or unilaterally), the lessons learned from the programmes, and the expertise available throughout the world. It will draw on data in existing databases, national and regional networks, and other information sources, including limited-circulation sources like technical reports, "obscure" journals (with good data), etc. Such an "information base" would include:

• Information on successful eradication or control efforts (especially on islands) and the methods used;
• Information on failed eradication and control efforts (especially on islands) and why they failed;
• Where to find taxonomic expertise to identify the invasive alien species;
• Information sources to provide information on the natural history and on management of the invasive alien species;
• Where to find scientific expertise to undertake assessments of response needs and options;
• Where to find practical expertise to undertake on-the-ground work, including logistics planning and management, as well as possible sources of material/products;
• Where to find help if a new incursion has been detected (see also 4.3);
• A register listing people and agencies which would be willing to undertake work of particular types in particular regions.

4.3 Emergency Funding

The need for a standing fund available for undertaking emergency response actions for new incursions of alien species has been identified as a priority by parties as wide-ranging as government representatives of small island states, researchers and international NGOs. Funds would need to be held in such a way that they can be accessed in a very short period. To achieve this it would require:

• A pool of money set aside for the purpose, with funds able to be rolled over between years if not needed, and periodic topping up when the funds had been used;
• A set of clear criteria for the use of the money. When those criteria are met, funding would be automatically approved;
• An administering agency to which applications would be made, able to respond within 24 hours of any application;
• Publicity to ensure that potential users are aware of the existence and rules for the fund.

Note:

• In addition to having access to emergency funds, it is important that islands have access to emergency response support for dealing with incursions, including expertise (see section 4.2) and logistical arrangements: for instance, stocks of baits, traps, herbicides and other equipment to carry out eradication/control work, as well as personnel trained in their safe and effective use.
• It is not suggested that the Islands Cooperative Initiative should in any way be the collector or administrator of such funds. The initiative would, however, facilitate and encourage the coming into existence of such standing funds (focussing on islands) in an appropriate regional context.
• While the importance of such standing emergency funds is recognised as one of the most frequently mentioned necessities in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) context, it is also recognised that this is a complex issue that will require some time to materialise.

4.4 Developing Better Methods and Capacity Building

An important role for a cooperative initiative would be to identify opportunities to develop improved techniques. For example, eradication expertise in New Zealand has been progressively developed over the last 30 years. Work has been undertaken on progressively larger, more rugged, or more isolated islands. Work has also progressively tackled different and larger suites of invasive species. The lessons learned from earlier operations have been applied to later ones. The development of an islands database and a cooperation facilitation process will allow this to happen on an international scale and to be part of capacity building.

4.5 Commenting and "Peer Review"

Work on island eradication programmes has identified "peer review" of programme design and implementation as critical. A peer review/commenting process can provide a valuable means to identify potential problems early in the programme design and rectify these before the programme is undertaken. With island eradication programmes it is critical to succeed first time. Failed operations can result in pest populations which are more difficult to eradicate (e.g. because they are bait shy) and can reduce the local community's confidence and willingness to be involved. In addition, some programmes are relatively expensive and failed operations can waste millions of dollars, undermine confidence of decision makers and reduce willingness to have resources allocated to further programmes.

It is therefore proposed that an important part of any cooperative initiative would be the commenting and peer reviewing of programme design and implementation.

5. Facilitation/Implementation of the Initiative

The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) will undertake the facilitation of this Islands Cooperative Initiative, with support from the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the umbrella of GISP.

5.1 Immediate actions (2001 - 2002), expanding on work already being done by ISSG:

• Refine the islands component of the existing ISSG/GISP database on islands, and expand to include further invasive alien species most relevant to islands;
• Develop and maintain a register of expertise relevant to invasive alien species on islands, including practitioners, field-projects, researchers, taxonomic and/or methodological expertise and logistics sourcing;
• Encourage and assist the recording of lessons learned from island work;
• Facilitate and support information sharing and general communication between people working in this area and capacity building. This will include publishing the proceedings of the Conference on Eradication of Island Invasives; using the existing list server Aliens-L, the Aliens (bi-annual) newsletter, web site, online publishing of management information (where possible, in languages other than English), organising conferences with a practical focus, facilitating "peer review"/ commenting);
• Facilitate wider utilisation of available alien species management tools by practitioners on islands;
• Provide information to international processes such as the CBD, GISP;
• Facilitate practical projects.

5.2 In the longer term (2002 - 2003 onwards):

• Maintain the islands component of the existing ISSG/GISP database;
• Maintain information base on available expertise and ongoing projects;
• Encourage and assist the recording of lessons learned from island work;
• Facilitate and support information sharing and general communication between people working in this area and capacity building;
• Facilitate greater utilisation of available alien species management tools by practitioners on islands;
• Facilitate practical projects;
• Facilitate the identification of areas where improved techniques are needed and identify ways to develop those improved techniques;
• Focus on capacity building (workshops/training e.g. on quarantine, early detection, control, methods, etc.) and facilitation of international exchange of practitioners;
• Facilitate the production of funding applications (by practitioners) for specific projects;
• Facilitate the creation of regional emergency funds for combating new incursions;
• Provide information to international processes such as the CBD and GISP.

Comments and suggestions, as well as identification of sources of funding are welcome. Contact Alan Saunders at a.saunders@auckland.ac.nz

We acknowledge the support from:

We acknowledge the financial seeding contribution from the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).