Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 27 February. (Europa Press) –
The Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and the Fundación Canaria Reserva Mundial de la Biosfera La Palma formalised an action protocol on Thursday aimed at preventing, providing early warnings, and swiftly responding to invasive exotic species in La Palma, a World Biosphere Reserve.
The purpose of this agreement is to create a collaborative framework to locate, identify, analyse, control, or eliminate new outbreaks or populations of invasive exotic species in order to prevent their establishment through prompt detection and swift action, as stated in a press release from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
Sergio Rodríguez, the president of the Cabildo de La Palma, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, calling it “a renewed commitment” to safeguard the territory and to “continue progressing” on the island, while also contributing all pertinent knowledge to “combat the threats that jeopardise it.”
Valentín Martínez Pillet, the director of the IAC, noted that this agreement “will further enhance the relationship between the IAC and the community,” by promoting the environmental conservation of the island, including its skies and other natural surroundings.
Sharing Experiences and Knowledge
In summary, both organisations have committed to collaborate on the establishment and promotion of joint initiatives for managing invasive exotic species, as well as sharing experiences and knowledge among the scientific community, environmental managers, and the public.
Furthermore, they aim to develop a communication and awareness strategy regarding this issue, facilitate access to their facilities for research, tracking, and monitoring of invasive exotic species, and share information and resources for early prevention and alert.
This four-year agreement forms part of both institutions’ commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the European Strategy 2020, which strive to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The IAC emphasises the significance of combating invasive exotic species to protect the natural heritage of the island, which has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
