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GCSI Program Overview

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GCSI Operational Plan

In 2017, the decision was made to transition from a 5-year Strategic Plan model to

an Operational Plan which would result in the ability to quickly change programmatic

priorities and direction, should the need arise.  

2023 GCSI Operational Plan

The resulting GCSI Operational Plan goals, listed below, are in line with USDA, APHIS

and PPQ goals and priorities.  

Early Warning System

Harmonized Pest Exclusion and Safeguarding Strategy

Emergency Response and Preparedness

Communications Network

Resources Strategies

GCSI Cross Functional Working Group

The APHIS GCSI Cross Functional Working Group (CFWG) is comprised of

representatives of the PPQ Core Functional Areas (CFAs) of Pest Exclusion and

Import Programs (PEIP), Field Operations (FO), and Science and Technology (S&T),

as well as APHIS-International Services (IS). The CFWG’s purpose is to strengthen
and promote effective coordination and communication between these CFAs and

work towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall coordination

and strategy development of offshore safeguarding initiatives and activities in the

Greater Caribbean Region.

CFWG activities include, but are not limited to:

Provide guidance and direction relative to the APHIS GCSI Program

Identify program needs

Review and streamline operational processes and procedures

Provide programmatic and funding suggestions pertinent to annual regional

plant health safeguarding project submissions

GCSI Accomplishments

Greater Caribbean Safeguarding Initiative

FY21 Regional Safeguarding Projects

Accomplishments

The Greater Caribbean Safeguarding Initiative (GCSI), and our regional partner

countries and organizations, successfully executed 10 plant health safeguarding

projects in the Greater Caribbean Region (GCR) despite continued impacts and

challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These projects contributed to strengthening and enhancing, collaborative mitigation

and safeguarding efforts between the United States of America and GCR partner

countries and organizations. Our collective efforts contributed to the improvement of

safeguarding policy frameworks, the strengthening phytosanitary systems through

improved technologies, evaluation of the preparedness of countries in the event of

an incursion of priority pests, and improved communication and networking systems

for more effective and efficient information exchange among countries, regionwide.

Our specific accomplishments include:

Greater preparedness of Caribbean Countries to respond to

incursions from priority pests of importance to the Caribbean

and the United States of America
Using the safeguarding capacity building tools developed in 2019 and 2020 under

the GCSI, where twenty-one plant health professionals from six countries were

trained in proper execution techniques to conduct tabletop simulation pest response

exercises, similar tabletop simulation exercises were conducted in five countries

with over one hundred stakeholders from the national emergency response systems

participating. Specific areas for strengthening participating national emergency

response programs were identified. These areas included technical training,

information dissemination, development of strategies for improved stakeholder

(public and private sectors) collaboration, and communication.

Improved Regional safeguarding systems for priority pest of

mutual concern to the United States of America and the

Caribbean

To enhance the capacity of countries to manage the information being collected

from their national surveillance programs, a Regional Surveillance Data Management

Tool was developed. This valuable tool provides standardized pest surveillance data

capture across participating countries; online pest surveillance data for easier

access and reporting; an alternative storage of pest surveillance data; and reporting

capabilities to improve the capacity of countries to respond to emergency situations.

Updated Regional Priority Pest list for the GCR

Ten new priority pests were identified for the GCR by Key Regional Experts. The top

three pests include Red Ring nematode, Fusarium oxysporum fsp cubens TR4 and

Ceratitis capitata/rosa- Medfly., which are also included on the list of pests of mutual

concern to the United States and the GCR, along with Helicoverpa armigera,

Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2, and Peronosclerospora philippinensis.

Additionally, this updated list provides pest priorities for which National Plant

Protection (NPPOs} should include in their plant health programs. An additional

accomplishment was the development of a journal publication "Prioritization of

Quarantine Pest List for the Greater Caribbean using a Multi Criteria Decision

Approach", which documents the methodology utilized for the development of the

previous pest lists.

Efficient Fruit Fly monitoring system utilized Caribbean

Countries
Eight countries used the region’ Fruit Fly Management System, with is a platform for

the harmonized reporting of fruit fly survey data. This database system is of

significant importance to the GCR, as it contributes to safeguarding the Region from

these serious pest threats and can potentially reduce the impacts of introduction,

economic damage, and spread of Tephritid fruit flies.

Greater access to relevant plant health information by

Caribbean countries

The Caribbean Plant Health Directors (CPHD) Website and Facebook Page were

successfully maintained and disseminated public outreach information, which

contributed to an increased awareness of invasive species and the safeguarding

efforts in the GCR. During the year, there was an average of ~10,000 visits and

~3,000 unique visits each month to the website.

Increased capacity building tools to assist Caribbean countries

to comply with international reporting obligations through the

enhancement of a digital tool for recordingnon-compliance

issues

An online tool, which was originally developed by Center for Agriculture and

Bioscience International `(CABI}, "Caribbean Biosecurity Interceptions System"

(CBIS) was enhanced to assist with non-compliance reporting in the Region, and to

support Risk Based Sampling considerations at the region’ ports of entry. The

system was piloted in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, with positive feedback and

the tool is now available to the CPHD Forum membership through a Sharing Portal

on the CPHDForum.org Members website.

Successful Development and Piloting of an Online Regional

Plant Quarantine (PQ) Course

The laboratory component of the online Regional PQ Course was successfully

developed and implemented. The platform provides a general coverage of global

phytosanitary issues, concepts related to phytosanitary import regulatory systems,

through laboratory assignments to assess pest risk, pest identification techniques,

as well as specialized, relevant regulatory inspection method training for seaports,

airports, postal offices, and packaging houses environments. Twenty plant health
professionals from ten countries completed the pilot of the Regional PQ Course,

including the newly launched virtual laboratory component, which is now available,

worldwide, as part of the University of the West Indies Open Campus program.

Successful hosting of the 14th meeting of the Caribbean Plant

Health Directors Forum

The 14th annual meeting of the CPHD was held virtually, due to continued COVID-19

impacts. More than twenty (20) countries and seventeen (17) agencies attended this

important regional meeting. Topics included updates on the work conducted under

the GCSI, regional partners' work plans, and areas of collaboration in safeguarding

and emerging issues that impact regional plant health systems. The highlight of the

meeting was the endorsement and transfer of the Caribbean Biosecurity

Interceptions System (CBIS), to the CPHD Forum, by the Caribbean Region’ Center

for Bioscience International (CABI) representative.

Enhanced capacity to strengthen early warning systems for

nematodes which have economic and quarantine significance to

the Caribbean and the United States of America

Plant parasitic nematodes are of great economic significance to the GCR, and a

virtual nematology training course "Diagnostics, Surveillance and Management for

Economically Important Plant-Parasitic Nematodes" was designed, by one of our

regional partner organizations – the University of Florida, and completed by 30 Plant

Health Professionals from 14 countries, resulting in enhanced capacity to safeguard

their borders and manage crop losses due to economically important nematodes.

Focused Strategic Plan successfully developed to address

priority plant health issues impacting the GCR

`Through a participatory and consultative process, a six-year strategic plan was

developed for the CPHD Forum. The strategic plan reflects the CPHD team's

concerns, environment, ambitions, and expectations. The Forum now has a

framework which outlines the strategic pillars and the long-term objectives, key

results, targets, and key activities, and will allow CPHD Forum member countries to

address plant health issues in a more focused and systematic approach.

GCSI Regional Partner Organizations
Safeguarding plant health in an area as vast and culturally and politically diverse as

the Greater Caribbean Region, is no easy feat, but the long-standing, strong

partnerships the GCSI shares, in this dynamic and challenging region, make our

collective accomplishments and successes possible.

The following is a listing, in no order, of our regional partner organizations, along

with a link to their individual websites where you can find additional information:

GCSI Regional Partner Organizations

Caribbean Pathway Analysis

A Caribbean Pathway Analysis was initially conducted in 2009, by APHIS-PPQ Plant

Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory (PERAL), Science and Technology Branch.

Since then, there have been several iterations with the last one produced in 2019. 

The objective of the pathway analysis was to contribute to an improved

understanding of pathways for plant pest movement into and within the entire

Greater Caribbean Region (GCR), and every revision listed human movement among

the highest risk for regional plant pest movement, as people moving between areas

may carry pests on themselves, their clothing, or their shoes; transporting the pest

on objects brought to an area (e.g., handicrafts made from plant parts), or by

intentionally collecting the pest to take it to a different location. 

2019 Review of the PERAL 2009 Greater Caribbean Region (GCR) Pathway

Analysis (390.1 KB)

Regional Priority Pest List

In 2021, the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum, which includes 32 countries in

the Greater Caribbean Region and a number of regional partner organizations,

developed a priority pest list containing plant pests and diseases of concern to the

GCR. This list was compared to the APHIS Objective Prioritization of Exotic Pest

(OPEP) List, with 5 pest species being identified as mutual pests of concern to the

Caribbean and the United States. This Caribbean Regional Priority Pest List (RPPL)

comprises the target pests the GCSI Cross Functional Working Group utilizes when

reviewing and ranking annual safeguarding project proposals and making funding

support allocation suggestions. The current RPPL is:
Red ring nematode

Fusarium oxysporum fsp cubens TR4

Helicoverpa armigera

Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2

Peronosclerospora philippinensis

To provide increased safeguarding focus, pests that pose a serious threat to

agriculture in the United States will also be included as target pests.