Report prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN), 6-8 April, 2004. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Page 90
8/30/2004
The Global Invasive Species
Programme: Achievements and
changes in the past year
Silvia Ziller, Member, GISP Board of Directors /
TNC South America Conservation Region
Scientific Assistant/President, Horus Institute,
Rua Dr. Manoel Pedro, 495/906, Cabral,
Curitiba, PR, 80035-030, Brazil
Raising Awareness
An important emphasis of the Global
Invasive Species Programme (GISP) is to
raise awareness about invasive alien
species (IAS) in countries where the issue is
failing to be recognized. For example, Brazil
hosted a South American workshop in 2001
with GISP that resulted in an increased
consciousness at the governmental level, so
that there is now a national policy in Brazil
on biodiversity with several
recommendations about the IAS issue, and
a national survey on IAS has been initiated.
As the GISIN moves forward in IAS
information management, it is important
not to forget to address the problems
with the digital divide, language barriers,
and different levels of awareness; the
GISP may be able to help out in this
respect.
As the GISIN moves forward in IAS
information management, it is important not
to forget to address the problems with the
digital divide, language barriers, and
different levels of awareness. The GISP
may be able to help in this respect. They
are now elaborating a detailed program of
work related to the CBD's designation of the
GISP as the International Thematic Focal
Point on IAS under the Clearing House
Mechanism. The CBD also directed GISP to
identify standards and protocols for
implementation of a Global Invasive
Species Information Network (GISIN). It is
obvious that the GISP and GISIN will need
to work closely together, order to avoid
duplication of efforts.
The GISP secretariat was officially launched
in South Africa earlier this year. There is
also a new Chairman of the Board, Dr. Mark
Lonsdale, a leading authority on biocontrol
as it relates to IAS who is an invasive
species science manager at the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organization (CSIRO) of
Australia.
Web Site Redesign
The GISP Web site has been totally
redesigned, and is now considered part of
the Clearing House Mechanism. The reports
from the six regional IAS workshops held
around the globe can be accessed there, at
There is a global interactive map on the site
currently being populated with country-level
invasive species information and links to
Web sites and databases, as well as a
downloadable documents library in several
languages, and a news archive.
Publications
The latest GISP publication is the ‘Africa
Invaded’ booklet which was on display at
the GISIN and is also available for
download on the GISP Web site. A similar
approach is underway for South East Asia
and South America, and GISIN participants
 |
 |
 |