National task force launched to combat invasive species in Tanzania
What you need to know:
- The national task force is entitled to identify all types of invasive species in the country and prepare a national strategic plan to combat the alien species.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's Ministry of State in the Vice President’s Office for Union Affairs and Environment on Friday, September 28, 2018 launched the National Task Force to combat invasive species in the country.
The task force consists of environmental experts mainly ecologists and conservationists from relevant ministries of agriculture, natural resources and state-owned institutions.
The inauguration ceremony was held at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in the city, graced by the Vice-President Ms Samia Suluhu.
The formulation of the task force was initially proposed and approved by the environment minister Mr January Makamba when he addressed environment stakeholders at a meeting during his official tour of Arusha on September 4, 2018.
In his remarks during the launch of the task force on Friday, Mr Makamba who is also Bumbuli MP asserted that the task force would closely work with other experts from Ministries of agriculture and natural resources to undertake the assignment.
According to him, the task force is entitled to identify all types of invasive species that are available in the country and prepare a national strategic plan to be incorporated into the national programmes to combat the alien species, among other objectives.
Invasive species means a type of species that are not native to a specific location (an introduced species), and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.
"The Invasive species have continued to cause massive amounts of economic damage to the agricultural sector by destroying crops and contaminating produce," said Mr Makamba when he addressed participants.
"The team will therefore preview the local research works that have been conducted on invasive species and prepare a plan to combat the species," he added.
Friday's event also involved a short panel session that brought together various environmental experts from University of Dar es Salaam and Sokoine University of Agriculture, among others to discuss various environmental challenges caused by the invasive species.
One of the panelists, Dr Jesse Mnaya from Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) revealed that there are at least 70 types of invasive species in Tanzania and suggested that doubling of efforts was necessary to combat the alien species.
In attendance, the event brought together various government officials including the minister for Agriculture, Dr Charles Tizeba,Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Dr Hamis Kigwangalla, development partners, Ambassadors and other environment stakeholders from private sector.
