About the CAISIE programme

CAISIE is an EU Life+ funded programme which will contribute to the understanding and control of aquatic invasive species in Ireland.

Control of Aquatic Invasive Species and Restoration of Natural Communities in Ireland or CAISIE commenced in September 2009. The project is due for completion in the first quarter of 2013.

The broad objective of the project is to contribute to the halting of biodiversity loss in Ireland by preventing further impacts on native biodiversity from high impact aquatic invasive species. This will be achieved through the development and demonstration of effective control methods, a programme of stakeholder engagement and awareness raising, the enactment of appropriate robust legislation, and policy development and dissemination. The specific objectives of the project include:-

1. To protect the native biodiversity in Lough Corrib by eradicating, controlling or containing Lagarosiphon major.
2. To prevent further spread of high impact aquatic invasive species by implementing control measures in a key dispersal corridor (i.e. the canals and Barrow Navigation).
3. To conduct a detailed desk study and consult experts and authorities widely in order to collect data on the ecology and invasive capacities of the more problematic alien species and on effective control methods. This information will permit the development of informed guidelines for effective aquatic invasive species management.
4. To implement the widest range of containment, control and eradication procedures as is available in an effort to eliminate alien species from the targeted waters. The success of these methods will be scientifically monitored and the results will be used to inform ongoing control proposals. Specific research focus will be placed on developing new and innovative containment and control methods for use against the range of invasive species present in Irish waters.
5. To engage key stakeholders in an education and awareness programme aimed at preventing new invasions, further spread and reinvasion by existing high impact species.
6. To exchange and disseminate information on control and management methods with other European invasive species control teams and policy makers leading to more effective control of aquatic invasives in Ireland and across Europe.
7. To contribute to the protection of biodiversity in Ireland and the European target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 by building capacity on invasive species control.

In order to manage the project, key action plans that tie into the overall project objectives have been identified.
The sequence of the action plans is as follows:-

• Project Initiation. This entails the establishment of the project team, infrastructure, baseline data review (detailed desk study) and establishment of the Project Advisory Group. The Project Advisory Group and management structures within the CFB will ensure efficient delivery of the project and fulfilment of the actions. Technical and financial reports will be prepared and submitted to the Commission.
• Stakeholder consultations. Consultation with key stakeholders will endeavour to secure further support for the implementation of the project and establishment of the stakeholder network. This will prove essential to the overall success of the project.
• Workshop on control / management options and remediation. A workshop with stakeholders and international experts will be convened in early 2010 to inform the further development of the action plans for each project area.
• Programmes to eradicate/contain/control/manage invasive species. These programmes will draw heavily upon the results already obtained from research conducted in the area of aquatic plant and invasive species management in Ireland and abroad. While traditional control and removal methods will be engaged, new methods will be researched on an ongoing basis. A worldwide network of weed and invasive species management contacts will be established to ensure that every available mechanism to tackle these aggressive aliens is utilised.
• Lagarosiphon major from Lough Corrib.  The systematic removal of weed using a wide range of tried and tested, as well as new and innovative, methods will be conducted over three field seasons. Focus will also be targeted on the exclusion of the plant from areas in Lough Corrib (and elsewhere in Ireland) where it is not yet established.
• The impact on native communities in target water bodies of the removal of invasive species will be closely monitored. This will involve ecosystem-wide assessment and comparison of food webs and community structure in invaded and non-invaded areas.
• High impact invasive species in the canals and Barrow Navigation. This will involve systematic control and containment of a number of invasive species (including Nuttall’s pondweed, Australian swampcrop and others) and the development of a mechanism for addressing recreational boating as a vector in dispersal corridors.
• Evaluate the potential for biological control of aquatic invasive species in Ireland- Carrying out the evaluation of biological control mechanisms for some of the high impact species and contribute to the guidelines on effective management of high impact aquatic species. This work will be conducted in conjunction with biocontrol experts in UCD and elsewhere.
• Remediation of native biotic communities- This will involve the transplantation of native species from unimpacted areas to areas where control measures have been carried out, restoring native biodiversity.
• Stakeholder engagement programme-. A series of presentations will be given to stakeholders by the project team and an exhaustive stakeholder network will be established.
• Education and awareness programme-. Production of education and awareness material to include research publications, informative articles, project bulletins, promotional leaflets, guides, calendars etc.
• Dissemination programme-. This will involve the production of a project website dissemination of guidelines on effective aquatic invasive species management and stakeholder engagement and the hosting of a European workshop in October 2012 to encourage the uptake of the project approach in other member states.

The prevention of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species will be addressed through the programmes of stakeholder engagement and education and awareness described above, and via the provision of robust legislation.

This is an important national research project that will inform the control and management of invasive species in Ireland and elsewhere for many years to come.