THE WAR AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES AND PESTS IN TH E REGION
October 26th, 2005

In its continued quest to effectively address harmful invasive species and eradicate pests in the region the Caribbean Invasive Species Working Group will be meeting from October 27-28, 2005 at the Courtyard by Marriott, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Group is comprised of CAB International, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Florida (UF), CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

CARDI is leading the Working Group of Caribbean and United States scientists to militate against the invasion of alien pests by restricting the number of invasives which get a foothold in the Caribbean region and to mitigate the impact of such species for example, the invasion of the Pink Mealy Bug and the Giant African Snail.

The scientists will discuss issues regarding the status of the Caribbean Regional Invasive Species Intervention Strategy (CRISIS), Avian Influenza, sanitary and phytosanitary initiatives, and the proposed Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) among others.

The CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) endorsed CARDI as the lead agency in building the necessary strategic partnerships for the control and management of invasive species in the Region.

The viability of the agriculture sector in the region as it relates to greater access of raw materials and products to regional and world markets, maintaining food security and overall integration into the global economy is anchored on the absence of invasive species and pests.

To this end, CARDI continues to be the vanguard for the agriculture sector in the region.

CARDI was effective in the fight against the pink hibiscus mealy bug in 1990s, and the development of the appropriate protocols for dealing with it, and the work on the papaya mealy bug, the giant african snail as well as coffee berry borer in Jamaica.

In June of last year in Trinidad and Tobago a two-day regional symposium entitled “Facilitating Safer US-Caribbean Trade: Invasive Species” was coordinated by CARDI with particular reference to trade issues especially as they affect trade between the USA and CARICOM.

For more information please contact Selwyn E. King, Public Relations and Communications Manager, CARDI.