Biosecurity on St Helena Island – a socially inclusive model for protecting small island nations from invasive species

Abstract

St. Helena Island, 122 km2 (47 sq. miles) is a UK Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic. It is a remote volcanic island situated in the sub-tropics 1,127 km (700 miles) from Ascension Island and 2,736 km (1,700 miles) from South Africa. Its resident population of ca. 4,500 is serviced by a single supply ship which visits up to 25 times a year. Isolation has acted historically as a natural barrier to pest arrival and border control has followed the conventional practice of protecting agricultural interests through restrictions on fresh produce, plant materials, livestock and pets. The bene?ts of isolation were compromised in 2016 when the ?rst airport opened. Private jets arrive now from Africa, Europe and South America, and commercial ?ights started at the end of 2017. A programme of biosecurity capacity building and strengthening was established in anticipation of this air tra?c. St Helena authorities introduced a national biosecurity framework and associated policy (entitled Biosecurity St Helena), the latter constructed through multi-sectoral consultation, and key stakeholders participated throughout in policy development. Biosecurity St Helena applies international standards set by the International Plant Protection Convention across the biosecurity continuum. As is typical in small island nations, human and ?nancial resources are limited, so that the biosecurity strategy addresses mainly higher risks. Compliance is heavily reliant on public awareness. Active communication engages all community sectors in biosecurity work through education, information, advocacy and feedback. Authorities use key performance indicators to measure the e?ectiveness of this approach. Biosecurity St Helena is a model of actively socialised biosecurity for other small island nations.