South Atlantic Invasive Species Project

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The South Atlantic Invasive Species Project (SAISP) was a three-year project (December 2006 - December 2009) funded under the European Union EDF 9. [1] Its aim was to increase the capacity of the UK's South Atlantic Overseas Territories to deal with invasive species issues. The territories involved were Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island. The project was managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) on behalf of the partner governments. In addition to the partner governments, two NGOs: Falklands Conservation and the Saint Helena National Trust were key stakeholders. It was also supported by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Contents

Project activities

The project started with the appointment of two project officers, Andrew Darlow, for Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and Brian Summers for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. [2] The focus of the project varied across the territories, depending on their needs. [3]

During the course of the project, Dr Phil Lambdon discovered a living example of a type of sedge on Saint Helena, Bulbostylis neglecta , that had not been seen for over 200 years and was previously feared extinct. [4]

Clare Miller who managed the South Atlantic Invasive Species project said:

Saint Helena’s wildlife has been ravaged by species introduced to the island. Goats, gorse, grasses, and cage birds have all been liberated on the island where they have wreaked havoc with the native species. Saint Helena is a noted extinction hotspot, driven largely by non-native species, and the native birds have suffered more here than many other islands. Of eight species of bird confined to the island, seven have become extinct since the island’s discovery in 1502. [4]

The project involved surveys to identify and map naturalised and cultivated taxa, as well as risk assessment of introduced species and targeted control of some species. [5]

A survey conducted in 2009 by Jo Osborne, Renata Borosova, Marie Briggs and Stuart Cable recorded 24 introduced vascular plant species on South Georgia. [6] A report on the survey recommended the eradication of 20 out of 24 of these species. The report also recommended further survey to map the extent of the populations of these invasive species to determine the possibility of eradicating them, as well as regular monitoring of vegetation. As a result, a programme was conducted to eradicate wavy bittercress. [7]

In addition to the survey conducted on South Georgia, botanical surveys were completed on Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha, and Saint Helena. The SAIS Botanical Survey Report produced from the project summarised the state of plant invasions on Saint Helena and highlighted management issues, with suggestions for future actions. [8]

On the Falkland Islands, island surveys, fox surveys, and garden plant surveys were conducted. [3] Following the findings of these surveys, support for working towards rat and fox eradication on islands was provided. The island surveys discovered new populations of Cobb's wren, an endemic species of bird. [3]

Implications

In 2010, a South Atlantic Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan was developed from the project findings. The aim of this was to encourage continuation of work after the project was completed and to act as the basis of a regional approach to invasive alien species. [3] To implement the key actions of this plan, a workshop was held on Ascension Island. The project also resulted in reviews of legislation related to invasive species for each Territory. [3]

Since the completion of the South Atlantic Invasive Species Project in 2009, multiple projects have been carried out with similar aims to address invasive species in the region. For example, in 2011, the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs initiated a series of projects to address invasive species. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Saint Helena</span>

Saint Helena is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa. St Helena has a land area of 122 square kilometres and is part of the territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which includes Ascension Island and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are British Overseas Territories in the south Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 kilometres (103 mi) long and 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 kilometres (430 mi) southeast of South Georgia. The territory's total land area is 3,903 km2 (1,507 sq mi). The Falkland Islands are about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) west from its nearest point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan da Cunha</span> South Atlantic island group

Tristan da Cunha, colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying approximately 2,787 kilometres (1,732 mi) from Cape Town in South Africa, 2,437 kilometres (1,514 mi) from Saint Helena, 3,949 kilometres (2,454 mi) from Mar del Plata in Argentina, and 4,002 kilometres (2,487 mi) from the Falkland Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inaccessible Island rail</span> Bird species endemic to the south Atlantic

The Inaccessible Island rail is a small bird of the rail family, Rallidae. Endemic to Inaccessible Island in the Tristan Archipelago in the isolated south Atlantic, it is the smallest extant flightless bird in the world. The species was formally described by physician Percy Lowe in 1923 but had first come to the attention of scientists 50 years earlier. The Inaccessible Island rail's taxonomic affinities and origin were a long-standing mystery; in 2018 its closest relative was identified as the South American dot-winged crake, and it was decided that both species are best classified in the genus Laterallus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Saint Helena</span> British overseas territory flag

The flag of Saint Helena consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the shield from the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1984 shortly after the island was granted a new coat of arms, it has been the flag since. Saint Helena's flag is similar to the flags of eight other British Overseas Territories, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective coats of arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gough Island</span> Island in the South Atlantic

Gough Island, also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares, is a rugged volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It is approximately 400 km (250 mi) south-east of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, 2,400 km (1,500 mi) north-east from South Georgia Island, 2,700 km (1,700 mi) west from Cape Town, and over 3,200 km (2,000 mi) from the nearest point of South America.

The Saint Helenapound is the currency of the Atlantic islands of Saint Helena and Ascension, which are constituent parts of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It is fixed at parity with sterling, and so both currencies are commonly accepted and circulated within Saint Helena. It is subdivided into 100 pence.

<i>Poa flabellata</i> Species of grass

Poa flabellata, commonly known as tussac grass or just tussac, is a tussock grass native to southern South America, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and other islands in the South Atlantic. There are also two isolated records from the herbarium at the French Muséum national d'histoire naturelle for the Île Amsterdam in the Indian Ocean.

Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, as well the other uninhabited islands nearby, are a haven for wildlife in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are or were home to much endemic flora and fauna, especially invertebrates, and many endemic fish species are found in the reef ecosystems off the islands. The islands have been identified by BirdLife International as Important Bird Areas for both their endemic landbirds and breeding seabirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Saint Helena</span> Overview of and topical guide to Saint Helena

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Saint Helena:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension Island</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles (2,300 km) from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, of which the main island, Saint Helena, is around 800 miles (1,300 km) to the southeast. The territory also includes the sparsely populated Tristan da Cunha archipelago, 2,300 miles (3,700 km) to the south, about halfway to the Antarctic Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension scrub and grasslands</span>

The Ascension scrub and grasslands ecoregion covers the dormant volcano, Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. As well as shrubs and grasses wildlife on the island includes a range of unique flora and fauna. In particular the surrounding islets are important havens for many seabirds. However the seabird populations on Ascension Island itself have been severely affected by introduced species, especially cats, which were the subject of an eradication campaign between 2002 and 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha. Its name was Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force, giving the three islands equal status as three territories, with a grouping under the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Tristan da Cunha</span>

Tristan da Cunha is an archipelago of five islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the largest of which is the island of Tristan da Cunha itself and the second-largest, the remote bird haven, Gough Island. It forms part of a wider territory called Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which includes Saint Helena and Ascension Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands</span> Catholic missionary jurisdiction in the Southern Atlantic Ocean

The Apostolic Prefecture of Falkland Islands is a Latin Church missionary ecclesiastical jurisdiction or apostolic prefecture of the Catholic Church covering the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, UK Southern Atlantic Ocean overseas possessions.

The United Kingdom possesses a number of islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and claims a section of the Antarctic continent. These territories are St. Helena with Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the UK's claimed Antarctic territory, called the British Antarctic Territory. The official currency in these territories is either Pound sterling or a local currency that evolved from sterling and is at a fixed one-to-one parity with sterling.

The Sacred Heart Church is a religious building that is affiliated with the Catholic Church and is located in the town of Jamestown on the island of Saint Helena, part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum</span>

The UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF), also known as Overseas Territories Conservation, is a UK-based non-governmental organisation which promotes coordinated conservation in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies (UKOTs and CDs). It is a not-for-profit organisation supported by grants, donations and subscriptions, and a registered charity and company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan da Cunha–Gough Islands shrub and grasslands</span> Terrestrial ecoregion which covers the Tristan da Cunha archipelago and Gough Island

The Tristan da Cunha–Gough Islands shrub and grasslands is a terrestrial ecoregion which covers the Tristan da Cunha archipelago and Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The islands' remote location gave rise to many endemic species.

References

  1. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 07 Feb 2008 (pt 0024)". Hansard. 7 February 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  2. Juanita, Brock (27 February 2007). "S.Atlantic : Invasive Species Project Takes Off Locally". South Atlantic Remote Territories Media Association. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "UKOTCF - Information Sources". www.ukotcf.org. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Lost sedge now on a Knife Edge". RSPB. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  5. Upson R and Lewis R. (2014) 'Updated atlas and checklist', Report to Falklands Conservation, https://falklandsconservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FI_CHECKLISTATLAS_UpsonLewis2014.pdf
  6. Osborne, J., Borosova, R., Briggs, M., & Cable, S. (2009), 'Introduced Vascular Plants', The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/South%20Georgia%20Introduces%20Vascular%20Plants%202009_0.pdf
  7. C.R. Veitch, M.N. Clout, A.R. Martin, J.C. Russell and C.J. West (eds.) (2019). Island invasives: scaling up to meet the challenge, pp. 424–429. Occasional Paper SSC no. 62. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN, https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/SSC-OP-062-En.pdf
  8. St Helena National Trust (5 July 2024). "SOUTH ATLANTIC INVASIVE SPECIES PROJECT (SAIS)". St Helena National Trust. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  9. UK Government (May 2014). "UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy" (PDF). Assets Publishing Service GOV UK. Retrieved 6 July 2024.

Further reading