8/9/2019 Alien Species Are Not All Bad.

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Alien species are not all bad!!!

According to one participant at the CABI Invasive

Alien Species Strategy and Economic Impact

Assessment training workshop, roughly 80% of useful

fruit trees in Jamaica were introduced. So, are

they now still considered alien species? They have

become a natural part of Jamaican life, livelihoods

and economy. In other words, we have adapted to

these once-upon-a-time alien species. Are they still

considered aliens or invasive?

This is among a number of complexing issues being

discussed at the regional workshop under the CABI project

on Managing the threat of Invasive Alien Species in the

Insular Caribbean. The issue of control vs. adaptation of the

popular predator Lionfish currently in the waters of the

Bahamas, Bermuda and Jamaica, almost dominated the

discussion. According to Dr. Johnson, CABI Director, the

lionfish is one of those IAS that we just cant stop. While

adaptation measures, such as, adding the fish to the

Bahamian fisheries and cuisine, because of its aggressive

spread, it is moving beyond just a local issue, to a regionalissue with the potential to become a global issue.

While there are some invasives that cannot be prevented, and it is recognised that Prevention is the first

line of defence, there are some IAS that can at least be managed and controlled. Others, like the Red

Lionfish, we just have to learn to live with. Hence according to Dr. Johnson, for such IAS, Adaptation, is

the only option. This seems to be the general issue when it comes to marine invasives, as distinct from

freshwater invasives, one of the three main categories of IAS, in addition to terrestrial (land). These two

latter categories, appear to lend themselves more to control and eradication methods.

Be that as it may, all management and control strategies present some level of difficulties. One way of

dealing with such difficulties is ensuring involvement of all stakeholders agriculture, tourism, public and

private, non-governmental organisation and the general public. It is clear therefore, that any regional

IAS strategy must consider full stakeholder involvement, the content, message and way in whichinformation on an IAS is released to the public and the need to ensure that lack of human resources and

financing do not take us back to square one, as has already been the case with the experience of the

Tropical Bont Tick in St. Kitts and Nevis and the Carambola fruitfly in Guyana and Suriname.

If anything at all, the main message that IAS experts would like the public to know is that under no

circumstances should any invasive alien that is plant or animal species non-native to a

country/ecosystem be allowed to breach the borders of the wider Caribbean. Preventing IAS entry is

everybodys responsibility, CABI, all Ministers, immigration officers, the private sector(farmers, fishermen,

tour operators, pet suppliers), the general public, and especially travellers.

CaRAPN@ 6/10.