Invasive Species Workshop - Helping Islands Adapt - 11-16 April, Hyatt Regency Auckland

On behalf of the Steering Committee that planned this ‘Helping Islands Adapt’ workshop, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to its success. The commitment and contributions of everyone involved, before and throughout the event, reflect both the importance of the topic and the very high calibre of everyone involved.

Our initial goals have been met, on time and in style, resulting in strategies, messages and initiatives that, together, represent a milestone in the global response to the threats of invasive alien species and the associated adaptation required to respond to climate change. In particular, you have:

• established networks of contacts between islands, regions and global agencies involved in the management of invasive alien species;
• shared ideas and inspiration of what can be done by small, dispersed communities with very limited resources;
• developed regional actions to support invasive species management on islands;
• developed a united message on the global significance of the threats from invasive species to ecosystems, economies and welfare of island communities;
• developed a text and strategy for delivering consistent messages to key decision-making and other influential bodies including the:

o 18th Convention on Sustainable Development meeting 3-14 May 2010.
o Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice to the CBD 10 - 21 May 2010.
o United Nations General Assembly 14 September 2010.
o 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 18 - 29 October 2010.

In the process, you have also experienced some very effective and, for many, new techniques for drawing on combined experience and wisdom to identify and address underlying issues. All of this has been achieved in a great spirit of friendship and cooperation. We should congratulate ourselves on the workshop’s successful conclusion, but we must also remember that the challenge of putting its results into action still lies ahead.

The agreed text that was developed during the workshop will be availabe on this website shortly. The list of participants, is available on the workshop documents page on this website (Document 3). Please keep checking this website for news as it develops, and for copies of presentations, text, illustrations and photographs from the workshop. We are all anxious to receive this material as soon as possible and so it will be loaded as each item comes to hand.

Finally, I know that many of you have had difficulty in returning home following the volcanic event in Iceland and hope that this has not caused you too much distress.

With grateful thanks and best wishes.

Brian Sheppard
(Steering-Committee Co-Chair)

Please click here for a SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP OUTCOMES