In brief
European Commission, 1st meeting WGIAS
12 June 2015, Brussels
AF Martinou PhD, DIC
Joint Services Health Unit (Cyprus)
af.martinou@gmail.com
A little bit about me
• Entomologist by training
• working on invasive pests and invasive biocontrol
agents
• Impact (direct and indirect) especially in HNV
systems
• ES provision, biodiversity, pesticides
• 2 organizations, 3 countries that released
invasive organisms
Cyprus
Cyprus is
• The 3rd largest island in the
Mediterranean
Propomacrus cypriacus
• South-eastern corner of EuropeLevantine area
• Varied topography, geology,
bioclimate
• Biodiversity hot spot
• High levels of endemism
TSINTIDES TC. 1998. THE ENDEMIC PLANTS OF CYPRUS.
Current threats to natural & seminatural systems in Cyprus
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Land abandonment
Urbanization
Agricultural Intensification
Desertification
Biological invasions
My work
• Previous projects
• Current projects
• Cyprus Invasive Alien Species database
Previous work- Deleterious effects of pesticides
High Nature Value carob grove
Rats + overgrazed carob
To promote and enable the long term conservation of
High Nature Value Farmlands (HNVFs) in Cyprus
Currently
• Entomologist at JSHU
(Cyprus), RAF Akrotiri
• Responsible for the Integrated
Vector Management
Programme
• Managing a team of 40 IPCOs
• Akrotiri Peninsula 60 km2
• Important area for Biodiversity- IBA- SPA
Great area for mosquitoes
• Malaria in the past, eradicated in
the late 1950s
• Intensive survey and monitoring
programme in order to manage
existing mosquito species
• Be in a position to detect new
invasions early!!
Mosquito Area Management
(MAM) programme
Akrotiri
Peninsula
60 Km2 Area
Survey & Monitoring mosquito scheme
Larval Survey
recording
planning
Dip
sampling
Survey & Monitoring mosquito
scheme
Adult survey
CO2 Trapping
Integrated Vector Management
Approach
• Physical control (water managementdraining)
• Biological control
• Chemical control
• Evidence based
• Restoration projects
Restoration project Fassouri Marsh
• Birdlife Cyprus
• Akrotiri Environmental
Education Centre
• Our role
Biological control using endemic fish & Control
for invasive Gambusia
Gambusia intentionally released in
the past
Fish population dynamics
From my experience
• While management of IAS is very important
and great to work on (issue 3)
• Awareness raising (1) & Development of
guidelines and training material for ALL in
competent authorities (6) of immense
importance
Creating CYIAS
The Cyprus Invasive Alien Species
database
AF Martinou1 & A Zenetos 2
1Joint
Services Health Unit (Cyprus)
2Hellenic Centre of Marine Research
Antalya, 3 November 2014
The gap
• IAS national experts & local networks: the
foundation for info provision to larger
networks and EU policies
• Cyprus was lacking such a foundation- (Ad hoc
committee EU regulation on IAS)
CYIAS aims at
1. Providing an up-to-date centralized information system
on the distribution of invasive species for Cyprus
2. Establishing a national network of aquatic and
terrestrial experts that will engage in the development
and updating of CYIAS
3. Linking IAS issues in Cyprus with European and global
databases
1. Providing up-to-date centralized information
system on IAS distribution
• 155 marine alien species
• 15 freshwater species
(12 freshwater fish and 3 freshwater molluscs)
• and 494 terrestrial species
information on pathways, origin, establishment success, first
sighting/collection date where available, first citations (literature)
1. Providing up-to-date centralized information
system on IAS
• List of most invasive species for the Med.
region also present in Levantine area, Cyprus
• List of marine IAS of commercial importance
with information on literature, first sightings,
establishment success and consulted databases
Most invasive illustrated
Atherinomorus forskali
Brachidontes pharaonis
Caulerpa racemosa
var. cylindracea
Caulerpa racemosa
var. lamourouxi
Chama pacifica
Cladophora cf.
patentiramea
Branchiomma
bairdi
Caulerpa racemosa
var. turbinata
Dendostrea folium
Branchiomma
luctuosum
Ceratonereis mirabilis
Ergalatax junionae
Cassiopea andromeda
Cerithium scabridum
Erugosquilla massavensis
Amphistegina lobifera
Fistularia commersonii
Hydroides heterocerus
Pempheris vanicolensis
Aplysia dactylomela
Apogonichthyoides pharaonis
Fulvia (Fulvia) fragilis
Lagocephalus sceleratus
Penaeus semisulcatus
Aquilonastra burtoni
Halophila stipulacea
Asparagopsis armata
Hydroides dianthus
Hydroides elegans
Lophocladia lallemandii
Notomastus mossambicus
Percnon gibbesi
Pinctada imbricata radiata
1. Providing up-to-date centralized information
system on IAS
• Highligthed the need for EWRR for fishermen/public
Pterois miles- common lionfish
Rhopilema nomadica- nomad jellyfish
• Not yet present but needs attention
Plotosus lineatus
2. Establishing a national network of aquatic and
terrestrial experts for CYIAS
• Researchers from Universities and research
centres from Cyprus and Greece
• Policy makers/government officials- Dpt. of
Agriculture, Dpt. of Fisheries, Dpt. of
Environment
• Citizen scientists
3. Linking IAS issues in Cyprus with European
and global databases
• Full list of validated data on marine species was
transferred to DAISIE
• List available upon request for EASIN, CABI etc.
Thank you very much for your
attention