The GEF/CABI project "mitigating the threat of invasive alien species in the insular Caribbean"

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) pose a major threat to the vulnerable aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of Caribbean islands and to people depending on this biodiversity for their livelihoods. Caribbean states have recognized the need for a regional strategy and expressed strong interest in linking up their national efforts in implementing Article 8 (h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to mitigate the threats of IAS in the Caribbean. The project proposed through CABI and UNEP for GEF funding aims to widen this narrow scope of dealing with IAS by establishing an extensive framework addressing IAS that threaten aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their biodiversity in the Caribbean. This framework will build on existing national measures in the plant and animal health sector and feed biodiversity capacity into the project by linking with national and regional stakeholders. The proposed project will provide the participating countries and other partners in the Caribbean region with the necessary tools and capacity to address existing and future biological invasions. The five project components are: [1] Development of National IAS strategies in the five participating countries: Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago [2] Establishment of Caribbean-Wide Cooperation and Strategy [3] Knowledge generation, management and dissemination [4] Prevention of New IAS Introductions in Terrestrial, Freshwater and Marine Systems [5] Early Detection, Rapid Response and Control of IAS Impacts The project and its preparation is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and cofinanced by the countries themselves and numerous partners. The first phase of the GEF funding cycle, the Project Development Facility-A (PDF-Α) was successfully implemented from July 2006 to February 2007. In April 2008, the second phase, the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) of nine months duration commenced. If successful, this will be followed by a four-year Full Size Project focusing on the above-mentioned countries while benefiting the whole of the Caribbean region as well as global biodiversity.