CARIBBEAN PATHWAY ANALYSIS A collaboration between the Caribbean Invasive Species Working Group and the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Evaluation of Pathways for Exotic Plant Pest Movement into and within the Greater Caribbean Region

This paper describes methodology and findings of the Caribbean Pathway Analysis, a collaboration between the Caribbean Invasive Species Working Group (CISWG) and the United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-PPQ). The objective of this study was to contribute to an improved understanding of pathways of plant pest movement into and within the Greater Caribbean Region (GCR), thereby helping CISWG to enhance its Caribbean Regional Invasive Species Intervention Strategy (CRISIS) for preventing the introduction and spread of exotic pests. The pathways investigated in this study were: human movement, airline passenger baggage, international mail, maritime traffic, hitchhikers, wood packaging material, forestry, propagative materials, and natural spread. The relative importance of each pathway as a source of pest introduction was rated. The pest risk associated with human movement, hitchhikers, wood packaging materials, forestry, and propagative materials was rated as very high. The pest risk associated with airline passenger baggage, mail, and natural pest spread was rated as medium. None of the pathways assessed was rated as low-risk. The study resulted in approximately one hundred recommendations for improved safeguarding in the GCR. The complete report can be accessed online at: http://caribbean-doc.ncsu.edu/index.htm.