REGULATORY/COORDINATION CONSIDERATIONS FACING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A CARIBBEAN INVASIVE SPECIES STRATEGY FROM A MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE PERSPECTIVE

Invasive alien species (IAS) continue to threaten Trinidad and Tobago. The country cannot manage this problem alone, so collaboration with countries in the Greater Caribbean Region as part of a Regional Strategy is imperative to exclude those pests that have not yet entered the country and to manage those that have transcended national boundaries. The Caribbean Invasive Species Surveillance and Information Programme (CISSIP) as a major component of such Strategy is very relevant and timely to address many of the issues associated with IAS. For such an approach to succeed, however, there must be various considerations at the national level. Among these are (i) the legislative and regulatory framework; (ii) long term funding for sustainability; (iii) adequate staffing, (iv) linkages and networking with other stakeholders, (v) compatibility with the Ministry of Agriculture work programme and (vi) security. This paper discusses Regulatory/Coordinating considerations of a Caribbean Invasive Species Strategy in relation to implementation of a project such as the CISSIP project