HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The government of Guam and the U.S Indo-Pacific Command hosted the 2023 Invasive Species Forum on Guam July 17-19.
According to a news release, the forum provided an opportunity for civilian agencies, the military and subject-matter experts in the region “to share information on the current state of research and development activities for the detection, surveillance, mitigation and eradication of invasive species.”
Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, who provided opening remarks, told attendees that biosecurity is a “multifaceted commitment” that all must uphold.
“Invasive species pose risks to our military readiness by affecting training areas, material movement and the health of military personnel. For our local communities, they threaten biodiversity, food and water security and quality of life,” he said. “As our military continues to expand our posture throughout the region to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, it is vitally important that we also do our best to protect the precious environments and ecosystems where we operate,” he said.
The forum brought together biosecurity stakeholders from across the region — Australia, American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Northern Marianas Islands, Philippines, Thailand and Tonga. Attendees discussed invasive species management and needed improvements to improve biocontrol and mitigation.
“Additionally, the forum promotes mutual understanding of environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability, and provides an opportunity for participants to share best practices in invasive species mitigation,” the release stated.
GovGuam, which has dealt with invasive species for decades, was given the chance to showcase its ongoing work, which the local military command said was designed to “enable participating nations to gauge the success of, and identify gaps in current methods, creating opportunities for process improvement and future cooperation.”
The 2023 Indo-Pacific Invasive Species Forum kicked off in Guam on Monday morning with remarks from guest speakers Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Joint Region Marianas Commander Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman.
