This paper gives an overview of St. Lucia’s recent efforts in the management of invasive alien species (IAS) that threaten native biodiversity. A regional GEF-funded project “Mitigating the Threat of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean” has the goal to conserve globally important ecosystems in the insular Caribbean. Five pilot countries, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago, aim to mitigate the threat to local biodiversity and economy from IAS, covering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via five approaches: (1) development of National Invasive Species Strategies, (2) establishment of Caribbean-wide Cooperation and Strategy, (3) knowledge generation, management and dissemination, (4) increase in capacity to prevent new IAS introductions and (5) increase in capacity to detect, respond, control and manage IAS impacts across ecosystems. A list of terrestrial IAS recognized in St. Lucia and their current status is presented. St. Lucia’s pilot project under (4) addresses the protection of the unique biodiversity of Maria Islands Nature Reserve and the surrounding Pointe Sables Environmental Protection Area. Under (5) St. Lucia focuses on the eradication of an alien iguana that escaped from a mini-zoo in Soufriere and now threatens the unique St. Lucian native iguana. The progress during the first project year as well as future plans are presented.
Full Presentation>>>IAS management in St Lucia and Caribbean