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Project Title/ID: Strengthening National Frameworks for Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Governance: Piloting in Juan Fernandez Archipelago
Type of Project: Full Size Project
Approved on: 2012-07-18
Country: Chile
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Chile has high levels of endemism, particularly among amphibians, reptiles, freshwater fish and vascular plants. Approximately 40% of the country, including the Juan Fernandez Archipelago (JFA), is considered one of the 34 hotspots of global biodiversity. Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major threat to this important biodiversity; capable of displacing native species through competition, predation, habitat alteration and disease transmission, IAS also cause indirect changes in communities and ecosystems, such as imbalances in food webs. Though the Government of Chile has made considerable baseline investments to address the IAS threat— including a robust system of inspection and quarantine—these investments are limited in scope and do not address IAS that pose a threat to biodiversity.
The GEF has recently endorsed the project, “Strengthening national frameworks for IAS governance: piloting in Juan Fernandez Archipelago” ($4 million GEF, and more than $8 million in cofinance), implemented by UNDP, that is supporting the Government of Chile to put in place national policy frameworks and institutional capacities to control the introduction and spread of IAS through Trade, Travel and Transport. The project will also pilot surveillance and control measures in the JFA.
The JFA was selected as the site for this integrated IAS management approach (prevention, detection/response, control and eradication) based on its highly significant global biodiversity and viable populations of endemic species; its vulnerability to existing IAS; and the interest of local authorities and inhabitants in reducing the impacts of IAS. In addition, the JFA’s classifications as a National Park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve provide land-use restrictions that will favor IAS management approaches.
The project’s interventions will take place on two levels, systemic and sub-national. At the systemic level, the project will ensure that key IAS policy, regulatory, planning and priority setting instruments; institutional and financial capacities, mechanisms and resources; and awareness among government agencies and production sectors are in place to enable effective and prioritized IAS management.
At the sub-national level, the project will implement an integrated IAS surveillance and control framework in the JFA in order to demonstrate cost-effective approaches for IAS management in a high biodiversity landscape with potential for replication at other sites in Chile. This work is expected to result in a biosecurity system in place for all aircraft and ships entering the JFA, including the use of specific technical procedures and blacklists for species prioritized in the IAS Management Plan for the JFA. Among its anticipated impacts, the projects seeks to increase the population of the endangered Masafuera Rayadito (endemic bird) on Alejandro Selkirk island from 250 to 300 individuals, and significantly reduce the number of yellow jackets on Robinson Crusoe island and the number of incipient invasive alien flora species on both Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk islands.
Overall this project will make important contributions towards the achievement of Aichi Target Nine.
The picture is provided by the Chilean government.
More information and project documents available here.
