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Multi island, multi invasive species eradication in French Polynesia demonstrates economies of scale
Available Online

Coulston, G.

,

Cranwell, S.

,

Derand, D.

,

Ghestemme, T.

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Griffiths, R.

,

Hall, T.

,

Pott, M.

,

Will, D.

,

Zito, J.

2019
Eradication of invasive vertebrates on islands has proven to be one of the most effective returns on investment for biodiversity conservation. To recover populations of the critically endangered Polynesian ground dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera), the endangered white-throated storm-petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa), the endangered Tuamotu sandpiper (Prosobonia cancellata) as well as other native plant and animal species, a project was undertaken to eradicate five species of invasive alien vertebrates: Pacific rat (Rattus exulans), ship rat (R. rattus), feral cat (Felis catus), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and goat (Capra hircus), on six islands spanning 320 km of open ocean in the Tuamotu and Gambier Archipelagos of French Polynesia. Using a ship to deliver supplies and equipment, a helicopter for offloading and bait application, and ground teams for follow up trapping and hunting, invasive vertebrates were successfully removed from five of the six islands. Pacific rats survived at one site. The project was planned and executed by a partnership consisting of international and local conservation NGO’s, working together with local communities. Combining the different eradication operations into one expedition added complexity to project planning and implementation and increased the risk of the operation failing on any one island but generated greater returns on investment allowing six islands to be targeted at significantly less cost than if each island had been completed individually. An extensive and thorough planning effort, effective relationships with local stakeholders and communities, a good operational strategy and a partnership of stakeholders that each brought complementary capacities to the project contributed to its success.
Trialling gene drives to control invasive species: what, where and how?
Available Online

Alphey, L.

,

Campbell, K.

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Edgington, M.

,

Harvey-Samuel, T.

2019
The control of invasive species would be enhanced through the addition of novel, more effective and sustainable pest management methods. One control option yet to be trialled in the field is to deploy transgene-based ‘Gene Drives’: technologies which force the inheritance of a genetic construct through the gene pool of a wild population, suppressing it or replacing it with a less harmful form. There is considerable interest in applying gene drives to currently intractable invasives across a broad taxonomic range. However, not all species will make efficient or safe targets for these technologies. Additionally, the safety and efficacy of these systems will vary according to where they are deployed, the specific molecular design chosen, and how these factors interact with the ecology of the target pest. Given the transformative but also controversial nature of gene drives, it is imperative that their first field trials are able to successfully demonstrate that they can be used safely and efficiently. Here, we discuss how to maximise the probability of this outcome through considering three important questions: What types of invasive species should we use to trial gene drives? Where should we be trialling them? and How should these trials be conducted? In particular, we focus on the ecological, genetic and geographic features of small, isolated islands which make them ideal locations for these initial trials. A case study of an island invasive that is deemed highly appropriate for gene drive intervention, and for which gene drive development is currently underway (Mus musculus), is used to further explore these concepts
Guam invasive species management plan interim 2017-2019: interim
BRB
Available Online
2017
The 2017-2019 Interim Guam Invasive Species Management Plan (GISMP) expresses the overarching goals and priorities of the Guam Invasive Species Council (GISC or Council). The Guam Invasive Species Act of 2011 (Public Law 31-43) established the Council as Guam’s lead entity in coordinating with local, regional, national, and international jurisdic¬tions in the fight against alien invasive species. Although the GISC is in its infancy stages of organization, it draws from the collective knowledge, past research, and progress of its members in establishing the Council’s goals and priorities. Priorities and goals identified in this plan reflect current and near-term resources, member capabilities, and status of certain invasive species. Recommendations contained in the Regional Biosecurity Plan for Micronesia and Hawaii (RBP), the 2016-2018 National Inva¬sive Species Council’s Management Plan, the Regional Invasive Species Council (RISC), and various stakeholders were considered in the development of this plan. The Council also considered developments under the purview of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and its 2015-2020 HISC Strategic Plan.
Natural resources management and the environment in small island developing states.
BRB
Available Online
2014
The First United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (also known as the Earth Summit) acknowledged that SIDS are a special case for sustainable development (given their unique and particular vulnerabilities).This gave rise to the First International Conference on SIDS in 1994 and the Barbados Program of Action (BPOA) which is the main policy framework addressing the economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities facing SIDS. The sustainable development of SIDS was also at the heart of the Second International Conference on SIDS held in Mauritius in 2005, and the “Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States” was adopted and subsequently endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 (Rio+20) agreed to convene the Third International Conference on SIDS in 2014. This was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). “The Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through Genuine and Durable Partnerships” will be held in Samoa in September 2014. FAO has been involved in supporting SIDS in addressing sustainable development issues and has contributed to the regional preparatory process (i.e. Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS regions) as well as the inter-regional and global consultation process held at the UN Headquarters in New York in February 2014. The outcome documents of these preparatory meetings specifically mention topics that are relevant to FAO’s core areas such as coastal zone management and ecosystem based approaches, institutional capacity to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries and increased attention to small-scale fisheries. Climate change is also highlighted as a threat to food security, natural resources (land, water, forest and biodiversity) and marine and coastal resources. This paper focuses on the environmental challenges of sustainable development issues with particular attention to natural resource management, environment and climate change in the food and agriculture sector (including crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry). FAO’s agriculture, fisheries, forestry and technical assistance programmes provide considerable resources to assist member countries promote conservation, sustainable use and management of natural resources and to reduce the risks associated with climate extremes as well as resilience building.
Life-history comparisons between the native range and an invasive island population of a colubrid snake
Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB
Available Online

Alcaraz, S.E.

,

Fisher, R.N.

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Fisher, S.R.

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Gallo-Barneto, R.

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López Jurado, L.F.

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Patino-Martinez, C.

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Rochester, C.J.

2019
Invasive snakes can lead to the rapid extinction of endemic vertebrates on insular ecosystems, usually because snakes are an efficient and novel predator. There have been no successful (i.e. complete) eradications to date of invasive snakes on islands. In this study we assess a novel invasion on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The invader, the California king snake (Lampropeltis californiae), arrived from California via several generations in the pet trade. King snakes are captive bred for various phenotypes, and first were detected in the wild on Gran Canaria in the 1990s. Because very little natural history data exist from within their native range, we focused on developing datasets from native habitats to compare with similar data for the introduced snakes in the Canary Islands. We found that most aspects of the snake’s life history have not changed since invasion, except that there appears to be a lower level of juvenile recruitment along with an increase in the length and body mass of adult snakes on Gran Canaria. We identified environmental parameters for when capture/trapping could be completed to reduce eff ort and maximize success. Additionally, we show different trap success on the various life stages of the snakes. Risk assessments could be required prior to permitting pet trade or allowing captive bred snakes into regions where they are not native.