8 April 2011: The UN Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project on Lake Tanganyika conducted a workshop on monitoring, management and control of invasive species in Bujumbura, Burundi, from 29-31 March 2011.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as part of collaborative efforts by the riparian countries Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia to address the threats posed by invasive species in the Lake Tanganyika basin. In the 2003 Convention on Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika, the four governments agreed to prevent, control and eradicate invasive species.

The UNDP/GEF workshop resulted in a regional call for action to control biological invasions in the basin. Multiple species of invasive plants and animals are already present in Lake Tanganyika and its basin, and there is concern for dispersal as well as for introduction of other potentially invasive species.

The lake is a hotspot of aquatic biodiversity, harbouring hundreds of species of fish found nowhere else in the world, as well as endemic species of snails, crabs, shrimps, sponges, and other taxa. The catchment basin encompasses several forest reserves and national parks, including Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains in Tanzania, which serve as refuge for some of the few remaining populations of chimpanzees in the region. The basin also contains extensive wetland areas, including the deltas of the Rusizi and Malagarasi Rivers, which are recognized according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and provide key habitats for a wide diversity of water birds and other native species.

During the meeting, participants discussed the extent of existing biological invasions, and the need to monitor the presence and future spread of invasive species in the basin. It was emphasized that prevention is less costly than management or control of biological invasions, and regional bio-security mechanisms are needed at the external entry points between countries. Participants also discussed: strategic use of combinations of mechanical, chemical and biological control to manage invasions; and the need to raise awareness about existing and potential future biological invasions.

With support of the UNDP/GEF Project, the IUCN will implement several pilot activities in the Lake Tanganyika basin to demonstrate measures to manage and control invasive species. The initial pilot activities will take place in the Bujumbura area, in close collaboration with the Lake Tanganyika Authority, the Burundi National Institute for the Environment and Nature Conservation (INECN) and local NGOs. Concurrently, further support will be provided for awareness raising, monitoring, management and control of invasive species at the regional level. [IISD RS Sources] [Website of Lake Tanganyika Authority]