Conferences & events
Island Invasives: Eradication and Management
8-12 February 2010
The conference will be held at Tamaki Campus, University of Auckland, New Zealand, hosted by the Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (University of Auckland & Landcare Research), in collaboration with the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
The conference is intended to bring together people from around the world and all aspects of the conference themes. Activities and discussions which help these people to share their knowledge, experiences, and future work will be encouraged. Satellite meetings before and after the conference will be encouraged; field trips will be arranged as part of the conference plans.
For the conference we will continue to have “islands” and “eradication of invasive species” as the focus, with emphasis on the work done and results or learning achieved. The conference will endeavour to cover the full breadth of this work and this may be broken down to: Gaining political, community, financial, and physical support; Eradication techniques tested and used; The immediate results of eradication operations; The longer-term outcomes as seen in the biota of the island and among communities involved; Biosecurity measures for such islands from planning to implementation.
Further information and details available on the CBB (Centre for Biosecurity and Biodiversity) website.
Past events
Pacific biocontrol strategy workshop
16-18 November 2009
This workshop was held in Auckland, New Zealand, to discuss whether biocontrol of widespread invasive species could be undertaken in a more collaborative basis in the Pacific, and to develop a regional strategic plan. Forty seven delegates, from 17 countries and territories, and organisations that represent the Pacific region, participated in the workshop.
“Biocontrol projects undertaken in the Pacific to date have demonstrated that biocontrol is a highly successful and relatively inexpensive tool for controlling pests and diseases in the Pacific,” says Lynley Hayes of Landcare Research, a member of the organising committee.
“A key outcome of the conference was agreement that biocontrol activity should be increased in the Pacific, as this is the only feasible way of dealing with many of the pests.”
Other outcomes included:
- A list of species that should be targeted for biocontrol was prepared. This was considered a ‘working list’ and will be reviewed regularly.
- Agreement that the many well-known, highly effective biocontrol agents currently available in the Pacific be shared more widely.
- Agreement to develop biocontrol agents for many more invasive plant and insect species. Some key projects have been identified and will be submitted to funders within the next 12 months.
- An independent advisory group will be set up to review biocontrol agent release applications and provide independent advice.
The workshop was made possible thanks to support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Hawai’i Invasive Species Council, Landcare Research, NZAID, Pacific Invasives Initiative, Pacific Invasives Learning Network, Secretariat for the Pacific Community, Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, USDA Forest Service, and the United States State Department.
