Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth and Sports Daphne Cassell welcomed a Bio-security Training Workshop for the UK Overseas Territories earlier this week.
The workshop took place under the project “Enabling Effective Biosecurity in the UK Overseas Territories.”
Speaking at the launch Mrs. Cassell stated that the week’s agenda reflected the complexity and urgency of the biosecurity challenges the OT’s face, from invasive alien species, that are real, immediate, and in some cases, already causing significant harm.
She noted that Montserrat has witnessed first-hand the serious damage caused by a number of invasive species, including the red imported fire ant, that has impacted both agriculture and recreational spaces, while rats have been observed preying on the eggs of national bird – the endemic Montserrat Oriole.
The chytrid fungus, that has tragically led to the extinction of the Mountain Chicken in the wild on Montserrat, sweet potato weevil, and melon worm continue to destroy agricultural crops, were also highlighted, along with feral chickens which are known to compete with native birds for food resources and contribute to agricultural losses.
Meanwhile, the croton scale has taken a toll on the horticultural sector, affecting both livelihoods and the aesthetics of landscapes.
Mrs. cassell says, in response to the threat posed by invasive species, the Ministry has initiated a number of targeted control measures aimed at strengthening the island’s national biosecurity system.
These include the development and implementation of a risk assessment and biosecurity protocol for the importation of sand and aggregate, enhanced inspections at ports of entry and the systematic treatment of fire ant infestations across all residential areas of Montserrat.
The Department of Environment has also launched a public awareness campaign to engage communities in early detection and prevention efforts of invasive species.
To protect vulnerable wildlife, particularly nesting seabirds, Mrs. Cassell revealed that the Department of Environment has implemented a trapping and removal programme targeting feral cats in key coastal sites.
This intervention is helping to reduce pressure and restore breeding success of seabirds in sensitive habitats.
Additional surveillance protocols have been introduced, including weekly inspections of imported aggregate mounds and mitigation measures such as mandatory treatment plans for aggregate shipments.
Officers have also conducted site visits to source countries to assess biosecurity risks at origin and strengthen upstream controls.
Overall the Permanent Secretary said, these efforts reflect the ministry’s broader commitment to building a resilient, science-based bio-security framework to protect Montserrat’s environment, economy, and way of life.