‘Urgent’ issue: 200 new ‘aliens’ recorded each year in places they weren’t before

An international group of experts says addressing the rise of invasive species is an urgent priority for nations, with the number of introduced species worldwide set to increase by more than a third in 45 years.

The analysis by researchers affiliated with the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) evaluated more than 13,000 scientific reports in 15 languages, in addition to data obtained from Indigenous peoples as part of a specific invasive alien species assessment.

Invasive species – of which there are more than 37,000 identified in ecosystems around the planet – are highly destructive. The IPBES analysis indicates invasive species have quadrupled their biological impact each decade since 1970 and now exceed a cost of US$423bn.

In the report published in the journal Nature, Ecology & Evolution, the 88-person expert analysis warns that invasives will keep expanding their range as ecological threats combine.

Chief among them, increasing global temperatures will shift climate conditions to become more favourable in regions where invasives are not yet established.

Culture warning for Australia

The threat of invasives on the lands of Indigenous peoples has also been highlighted.

A global study found Indigenous lands had 30% lower invasive species abundance than other lands.

But Australia appears to be an outlier, with a higher rate of invasive occupants in areas managed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples than other First Nations groups around the world.

Such areas that are closer to metropolitan areas and major roads tend to have greater trouble controlling invasives, while remote areas are comparable to overseas groups’ management.

In a statement, the Invasive Species Council’s Indigenous Ambassador Richard Swain, a Wiradjuri man of the Dabee clan and an Honorary Associate Professor at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, said “connection to Country is being undermined as invasive species, like feral deer or buffel grass, damage our sacred lands and drive the extinction of culturally important animals”.

Swain and the ISC are calling for a dedicated commissioner to advocate the perspectives of Traditional Owners in government policy and planning.

“‘How sad to witness Australia leading in the loss of our precious mammals and the unchecked spread of feral animals like camels, horses, and goats. This reality weighs heavy on our hearts as it reveals the widespread harm inflicted upon our land and our culture,” he says.