OECS IAS REGIONAL WORKSHOP
The Regional Workshop to Update the OECS IAS Strategy and Action Plan 2016 to 2025 under the project “Preventing the COSTS of Invasive Alien Species in Barbados and the OECS” was held in Bay Gardens, St. Lucia from 27th to 29th September, 2023. Organized through the collaboration between Global Environmental Facility (GEF), United Nation Environmental Programme UNEP, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CABI (CAB International formally the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux or Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International).
The objectives were:
(1) To establish consensus on the priorities, goals and objectives for IAS Management in the OECS and Barbados Sub-Region;
(2) To agree on the Framework for developing IAS Management Strategic Plans, including mechanisms to strengthen ownership and implementation for;
a. The OECS Secretariat as the oversight and coordinating entity of the OECS Member States
b. The Barbados national focal point for IAS Management.
Attending and representing Antigua and Barbuda was Dr. Tubal Edwards, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Veterinary and Livestock Division within the Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Edwards is also the focal point for invasive animals whether they are terrestrial or aquatic.
During his presentation, Dr. Edwards disclosed to his colleagues that some of the major invasions were caused by the Green Monkeys, Green Iguanas, Cuban Frogs, Giant African Snails and the Lion Fish. Additionally, he reported that there are an estimated 24 green monkeys on the island and though it is a small number compared to the colonies on the islands of St. Kitts/Nevis and Barbados, the plan of action is to capture them since they were causing tremendous damages on the farms located in the eastern section of Antigua. “We learned that St. Kitts and Nevis invasion was dated as far back as 300 years and they are trying to contain this situation while our colony is relatively new and primarily our force is to capture these monkeys before the colony gets much bigger and totally out of control”, Dr. Edwards said.
In regards to the other invasive species in Antigua and Barbuda, he explained to the forum the measures that were put in place to address these invasions. However, it was anticipated that new and more technical support would be received from the OECS IAS as the participants shared what was being done and the best practices that offered feasible solutions in their homelands. Other OECS member states present were Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad/Tobago.