breaks in funding, depending on the timing of financial cycles in the branch of
government that is funding the operation, administrative processes may have to be
initiated before the end of the previous financial year or bridging funds supplied to
ensure that there is no break in resource availability.
22.10.6 Critical Assessment of Control Efforts to Date
This review has shown that the regional and eco-regional (e.g. marine) working
groups have been highly effective in some cases where control or eradication,
complementing the efforts of government and private partners. In the long-term,
these groups must be supported to continue their work by the institutions that employ
the members and support the secretariats. The question of whether the control
projects that have been undertaken to date represent an adequate return on investment, is important, and needs to be addressed in future.
Ongoing re-assessment and monitoring of control efforts is important, and the
goals of control projects should not be static but should be regularly re-evaluated.
The value of advisory forums such as the CAPE IAAWG and the KZN Invasive
Alien Species Forum is that there is a scheduled trigger for re-evaluation of project
feasibility as regular meetings are held, bringing most or all of the required stakeholders together each time. At the same time, sustaining operations is important even
when it seems that progress is sometimes not being made rapidly. The initiation costs
of management and control projects are high, so current operations should be
sustained despite temporary pressure to discontinue, such as funding delays.
The research reflected in this chapter has shown that the control of one species
(C. maenas, European Shore Crab) is not necessary due to it not spreading outside
harbours and the small chance of it becoming invasive on our highly energetic
coastline. Species that can realistically be extirpated/eradicated by sustaining or
increasing the current efforts are: Himalayan Tahrs (H. jemlahicus), Fallow Deer (D.
dama), House Crows (C. splendens) and on islands Domestic Cats (F. catus) and
European Rabbits (O. cuniculus). It is unlikely that the 12 freshwater fish species
covered here will be eradicated, but ongoing control in priority catchments and
protected areas is important for conservation purposes, given the high levels of
endemism in the Western Cape. Eradication of the two species of wasps
(V. germanica and P. dominula) may be feasible, depending on the project design—
i.e. quick response to public reports of nest identification (Veldtman et al. 2012). In
these two cases, large-scale efforts that span several local authorities and towns will
have to be made, with guaranteed long-term funding from the national level.
Control of Mallards and Guttural Toads is in progress at a local authority level,
but is not likely to lead to local extirpation of these species in the near term. It is
likely that the goals of these projects may be re-evaluated in the near future. Species
that are not under comprehensive control at present, such as A. tristis (Common
Myna) require further research to determine the feasibility of control, some of which
is being conducted at present. Xenopus laevis  X. gilli hybrids are being removed
from one protected area (TMNP) but are not systematically controlled anywhere else
656
S. J. Davies et al.
government that is funding the operation, administrative processes may have to be
initiated before the end of the previous financial year or bridging funds supplied to
ensure that there is no break in resource availability.
22.10.6 Critical Assessment of Control Efforts to Date
This review has shown that the regional and eco-regional (e.g. marine) working
groups have been highly effective in some cases where control or eradication,
complementing the efforts of government and private partners. In the long-term,
these groups must be supported to continue their work by the institutions that employ
the members and support the secretariats. The question of whether the control
projects that have been undertaken to date represent an adequate return on investment, is important, and needs to be addressed in future.
Ongoing re-assessment and monitoring of control efforts is important, and the
goals of control projects should not be static but should be regularly re-evaluated.
The value of advisory forums such as the CAPE IAAWG and the KZN Invasive
Alien Species Forum is that there is a scheduled trigger for re-evaluation of project
feasibility as regular meetings are held, bringing most or all of the required stakeholders together each time. At the same time, sustaining operations is important even
when it seems that progress is sometimes not being made rapidly. The initiation costs
of management and control projects are high, so current operations should be
sustained despite temporary pressure to discontinue, such as funding delays.
The research reflected in this chapter has shown that the control of one species
(C. maenas, European Shore Crab) is not necessary due to it not spreading outside
harbours and the small chance of it becoming invasive on our highly energetic
coastline. Species that can realistically be extirpated/eradicated by sustaining or
increasing the current efforts are: Himalayan Tahrs (H. jemlahicus), Fallow Deer (D.
dama), House Crows (C. splendens) and on islands Domestic Cats (F. catus) and
European Rabbits (O. cuniculus). It is unlikely that the 12 freshwater fish species
covered here will be eradicated, but ongoing control in priority catchments and
protected areas is important for conservation purposes, given the high levels of
endemism in the Western Cape. Eradication of the two species of wasps
(V. germanica and P. dominula) may be feasible, depending on the project design—
i.e. quick response to public reports of nest identification (Veldtman et al. 2012). In
these two cases, large-scale efforts that span several local authorities and towns will
have to be made, with guaranteed long-term funding from the national level.
Control of Mallards and Guttural Toads is in progress at a local authority level,
but is not likely to lead to local extirpation of these species in the near term. It is
likely that the goals of these projects may be re-evaluated in the near future. Species
that are not under comprehensive control at present, such as A. tristis (Common
Myna) require further research to determine the feasibility of control, some of which
is being conducted at present. Xenopus laevis  X. gilli hybrids are being removed
from one protected area (TMNP) but are not systematically controlled anywhere else
656
S. J. Davies et al.