Steve Limtiaco

slimtiaco@guampdn.com

Invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to natural and cultural resources in the U.S. territories, according to Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina, who on Dec. 15 met with territorial representatives in Washington, D.C., as part of a newly formed committee.

“We can’t afford to let invasive species go unchecked in the territories. They could threaten water and food availability, impair human health, damage already fragile economies, and undermine the security of our Pacific and Caribbean regions,” Kia’aina said in a written statement.

The brown tree snake, an invasive species, has been blamed for killing off most of Guam’s indigenous bird species.

The most recent invasive species on Guam, the coconut rhinoceros beetle, threatens the island’s coconut trees because it bores into the trees, eventually killing them.

The newly formed U.S. Territories Invasive Species Coordinating Committee met for the first time with Kia’aina. Representing Guam was governor’s special assistant Tricee Limtiaco.

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov.Kenneth E. Mapp stated, “The silent invasion of non-native plants and animals adversely impacts all of our island countries. Collectively, our shared experiences will benefit one another as we strive to protect and restore our precious and unique natural and cultural resources.”

According to the Interior Department, island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to invasive species because they tend to host a large number of endemic or native species that have evolved in the absence of large predator populations.

“The invasive species that have already been intentionally and unintentionally introduced in the U.S. territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean are causing species extinction and irreparable damage to natural and cultural resources. If unchecked, invasive species can cost billions of dollars in damage, including the indirect cost of lost revenue to the tourism industry in the territories,” the department stated.

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