A live cane toad was stopped at a Cayman Islands port of entry, just weeks after the species had been formally identified as one of the most significant invasive species risks.
The animal, known scientifically as Bufo marinus, was discovered by Agricultural Health Inspection Services officers in an incoming shipment, the Department of Agriculture confirmed.
Its interception came less than a month after a Horizon Scanning Workshop, in which local and international experts ranked the cane toad among the organisms most capable of causing lasting harm to Cayman if introduced.
The workshop was organised jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment.
They were working alongside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds under a Darwin Plus-funded initiative aimed at improving Cayman’s readiness for invasive and emerging biosecurity threats.
Cane toads were highlighted during the workshop for their capacity to reproduce rapidly, colonise diverse environments and spread with little resistance once established.
Their skin secretions are toxic to native wildlife and domestic animals, and populations that take hold can degrade local ecosystems, place pressure on biodiversity and generate sustained costs for management and control.
In a press release on 18 August, agriculture director Wilbur Welcome said: “This interception is a clear demonstration that our biosecurity systems are working as intended.
“By combining horizon scanning, trained inspection teams and strengthened surveillance, we can identify and stop potential threats before they become established.
“This is exactly the kind of early action that protects the Cayman Islands’ environment, agriculture and economy.”
Officials from both the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment credited the outcome to coordinated work across government agencies and with international partners.
They noted that biosecurity threats do not diminish between formal reviews, and that sustained surveillance remains essential given the unpredictable nature of pathways through which invasive species can arrive.
