Tanja Laaser

My name is Tanja Laaser. I grew up in Germany, where I obtained a MSc in Evolution and Ecology before I moved to Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, in 2016. Since then, I was working as an intern with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) to study and protect the endemic Sister Islands rock iguanas (SIRI) (Cyclura nubila caymanensis) as well as to control the invasive green iguana (Iguana iguana) population in Little Cayman. In October 2021, I started a new position with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) as a full time Biosecurity Officer in the Cayman Islands for the project “Safeguarding the Sister Islands from Invasive Species”, which is funded by the Darwin Plus Initiative. By working closely together with the Cayman Islands Government (specifically DoE and DoA), I am analysing current Biosecurity standards as well as working on further developing and improving biosecurity measures for the Sister Islands. The focus of biosecurity will be on interisland trades and travels for the duration of this project (2.75 years). However, with the goal to establish this position permanently into the government departments, the baseline for international biosecurity will be developed as well. The main Invasive Alien Species (IAV) in the Sister Islands that the project focuses on include green iguanas, feral cats and rats.