Title: Launch Event of Project FAST – Fight Alien Species Transborder

Date: Friday 16 April 2021

Time: 10:30 onwards

Venue: Microsoft Teams

The FAST project, in full coherence with the European strategy, aims to control the introduction and spread of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) that threaten the biodiversity of Malta and Sicily through:

• (1)   Recognition and classification of IAS (plants, animals and plant pathogens) in priority scales
• (2)   Containment and/or eradication
• (3)   Identification and management of pathways of introduction and spread
• (4)   Elaboration of guidelines and adoption of best practices of containment
• (5)   Relying on environmental education and communication

Project activities will last 30 months and will end in May 2023.

The launch event of this project will include contributions by:

Attendance and participation of:

• Hon. Dr Anton Refalo, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights
• Hon. Dr Aaron Farrugia, Minister for Climate Change and Planning
• Hon. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds
• Prof. Ing. Saviour Zammit, Pro-Rector of Research and Knowledge Transfer 
• Prof. David Mifsud from the Institute of Earth Systems