The Invasive Species Management Strategy and Action Plan

This Strategy provides for preventing, detecting, controlling and managing invasive species in The Gambia, considered a major threat to biodiversity, ecosystems, agriculture, livelihoods, economic activity and human health. The Strategy, expressly connected with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the Gambia National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, provides a list of terrestrial and aquatic invasive alien species in the country, divided into white and black lists according to their level of invasiveness. The Strategy describes the following strategic objectives: prevention and pathway management; early detection and rapid response; control and eradication; restoration and resilience; governance and institutional capacity; public engagement and livelihoods. Based on these objectives, the actions include: mandatory pre-import risk assessments; stronger phytosanitary services and quarantine requirements for plants, animals, seed and soil; restoration of native vegetation; use of local species to preserve genetic integrity; improvement of community and public participation.