New committee out to counter invasive species

The launching of the new Invasive Species Committee on Friday

Senior environment officials on Friday May 21, launched a new committee to tackle the problems foreign species pose to the country as festivities kicked off to celebrate Bio-Diversity Day, which fell over the weekend.

The Invasive Species Committee, which has brought together representatives from both public and private sectors, in addition to non-governmental organisations, will look to develop “a national way of addressing the problems” of alien animal and plant species that can wreak havoc on local bio-diversity, said committee chairman Selby Remie.

Mr Remie, the director for conservation in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, said at Friday’s committee launch at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the formation of the committee had been “high on the agenda for some time,” but officials thought it appropriate to have the first sitting in conjunction with Bio-Diversity Day.

The committee includes reps from the Marine Parks Authority and Transec, the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, NGOs and a cross-section of various ministry personnel.

Mr Remie said the diverse group would allow the committee to better coordinate measures against invasive species, such as getting customs officials and other authorities on the same page to combat the problem. The committee would also be linking itself with existing invasive species programmes, he added.

“It’s impossible for one organisation to deal (with all that’s involved),” Mr Remie said.

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Ronny Jumeau said that islands like Seychelles represent both unique challenges and solutions to the exchange of species in times of increased travel and trade.

“While islands are more vulnerable to invasions and more likely to suffer major or even catastrophic loss of bio-diversity as a result of invasions, they are also more likely to respond to successful eradication and border and other control methods to reduce or remove threats,” he said in a speech to officially launch the committee.

Minister Jumeau called for more “all around vigilance,” from environment officials to port and airport authorities, customs officers, farmers, fishermen and NGOs.

“Now everybody will look to you,” the minister told committee members, “to come up with more effective ways to tackle this problem. I cannot stress enough how urgently the country needs the invasive species management and action plans that you have been mandated to produce.”

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