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26 PalletCentral • September-October 2019 palletcentral.com Package Research PU Jan=Feb p.11 INDUSTRY iStockphoto/Polar_lights Outcomes from the summit, Addressing the North American and Pacific Rim Invasive Insect and Arthropod Species Challenge, convened by the Entomological Society of America, Entomological Society of Canada and The Entomological Society of British Columbia on November 9-10, 2018. Addressing the Invasive Species Challenge Working together to create the way forward International Collaboration The invasive arthropod species problem is global. Solutions must involve international collaborations. We need to engage in a process of developing creative solutions that include: • new treaties and partnerships • better enforcement • a dedicated, focused global inter-organizational coalition Increasing Capacity Trade, human movement and environments are expanding and changing. Our current approach to prevention of new invasive species exceeds our capacity. To increase capacity we need to foster: • improved international coordination and collaboration along the biosecurity pathway • data, technology, and resource sharing • human resources Innovation While there is significant effort and expertise devoted to stemming the tide, current efforts are insufficient. We need innovative: • partnerships • methods for pathway analysis, detection, response and management Broaden the Base The conversation about invasive arthropos species is currently limited. The solution requires expanded public and policy engagement. Programs that engage citizen scientists, youth, and the public-at-large should be supported. Strategic development and consolidation of programs needs to be undertaken. Creative Funding Government funding is limited and competition is high. Sustained funding is essential to provide for the capacity, innovation and engagement needs for this fight. Alternative creative funding sources need to be sought out, created and accessed. its part to confront the challenge. Staff from NWPCA and ESA began collaborating after the Vancouver summit and are working together on the next steps. "We need more data," says Brent J. McClendon, president and CEO of NWPCA. "From what we've seen, ISPM15 works and we need to gather more information about what can be done to prevent all materials from carrying invasive species. If we can isolate the threat then we can focus on it and address it." Which brings us to the next summit in this series. The Ship Clean Summit On November 14-15, 2020, in Orlando, Florida, ESA will host The Ship Clean Summit: Reducing the Invasive Species Risks Associated with International Shipments. The summit is being supported by NWPCA and additional partnerships are developing with USDA-APHIS-PPQ, the North American Plant Protection Organization, and Continental Dialogue. The summit immediately precedes the ESA Annual Meeting (November 15-18), and a science policy field tour of the invasive pests of southern Florida is planned for the days following the meeting. "Preventing invasive pests is something we need to do right," says Dr. Helen Spafford, chair of the 2020 summit, co-chair of the 2018 summit, and a 2015 ESA Science Policy Fellow. "Many people and organizations are working on this and we have made significant progress. But we've got a long way to go. Finding new and innovative solutions will take hard work, planning, and new collaborations. We are excited to be working with other groups to build this community and tackle the problem together." The agenda of the Orlando summit is being assembled now and should be online by the end of 2019. Those interested in being part of the solution are encouraged to follow along at www.entomologychallenges.org and mark their calendars for the summit. PC Chris Stelzig, CAE, has been selected to be the next executive director of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Stelzig, currently ESA director of strategic initiatives, will begin the new role December 1. For more information, visit www.entsoc.org.