The Pacific Invasives Partnership has held its annual meeting to coordinate planning and share expertise among regional and international agencies working to curb the growing negative impact of invasive species in the region.
Key discussions at the meeting included a proposal endorsed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to secure funding from the 6th replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
24 February 2014: The Pacific Invasives Partnership held its annual meeting to coordinate planning and share expertise among regional and international agencies working to curb the growing negative impact of invasive species in the region. Key discussions at the meeting included a proposal endorsed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to secure funding from the 6th replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The Partnership also reviewed its 2013 objectives, which included a Pacific Invasive Species Capacity Development Strategy and expansion of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network cross-sector and multi-agency teams to Tonga and Vanuatu.
SPREP hosted the meeting in Apia, Samoa from 24-28 February 2014. In an address to the meeting, SPREP Deputy Director General, Kosi Latu, remarked on the need for collaboration, emphasizing that “The economic impact of invasive species upon our Pacific region is in the billions of dollars and doing what we all can to help address this issue is crucial.”
The Partnership’s meeting follows the recognition of invasive species as an issue in the strategic framework and high-level statement adopted by delegates to the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, held in Fiji from 2-6 December 2013.
The Regional Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in the Pacific Islands Region 2014-2020, among other things, links the identification and prioritization of invasive species in Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 to the Framework’s Objective 4 to “Protect and recover threatened species, and species and genetic diversity of ecological, cultural and economic significance” and Objective 5 to “Manage threats to biodiversity, especially climate change, invasive species, over exploitation, and habitat loss and degradation.”
The High Level Session Statement on 10 Key Actions to Achieve Nature Conservation Outcomes in the Pacific highlights invasive species as one of its key actions, with the goal to “take urgent action through forging strong partnerships between biosecurity, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the relevant environment sectors to prevent and control and eradicate invasive alien species.”
The Pacific Invasives Partnership, which has 30 member organizations and technical experts, was created in 2009 to raise the profile of invasive species, and secure funding and resources for invasive species management and biosecurity in the Pacific region. [SPREP Press Release on the Pacific Invasive Partnership 2014 Annual Meeting] [9th Pacific Islands Conference Website] [Publication: Regional Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in the Pacific Islands Region 2014-2020] [Publication: High Level Statement on 10 Key Actions to Achieve Nature Conservation Outcomes in the Pacific]