WCC 2016 Res 020 - Progress Report

Under Operative 1., in July 2018 the IUCN Secretariat (supported by the SSC ISSG, and other project partners incl. IUCN Members) finished its EC funded 'InvaZiles' project in the Western Indian Ocean Islands. This concluded more than five years of work that mobilised information on invasive alien species (IAS), created networks of expertise, increased capacity and knowledge on addressing IAS across the region, and undertook IAS management at a number of sites. One of the major outputs of the Inva'Ziles project was the 'Guidelines for invasive species planning and management on Islands' which was published in 2018 (https://www.iucn.org/theme/species/our-work/invasive-species/islands-ias-guidance). These Guidelines are designed to assist anyone planning and programming the management of invasive species on islands, with the aim of reducing the negative impacts of invasives on islands’ rich and fragile natural heritage, communities and livelihoods. The document provides guidance for anyone who has to find, plan and prioritise funds and resources for invasive species management and research, on islands anywhere, including for the design of national invasive species strategies and action plans. It provides support for islanders and island agencies working on invasives, as well as guidance for international and regional agencies in providing assistance to them.

Under Operative 2., The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) has continued to engage with the Okinawa Prefecture, to request that the Ordinance (2015) on preventing unintentional introductions of invasive alien species contaminated with soil and rocks for landfill, is improved. NACS-J note with concern that the invasive ant (Solenopsis invicta) was introduced into several prefectures of the mainland of Japan last year.