Aliens Newsletter - ISSG

Editorial
An article published in Science last 30 April 2010, by Butchart and colleagues, has compiled over 30 indicators
measuring different aspects of biodiversity. It, has shown that there is no evidence of any reduction in the
rate of decline of biodiversity and that, on the contrary, pressures continue to increase. These results confirm,
with a solid science-based assessment of the available data, that the 2010 target has not been met, and that the
efforts put in place by the world leaders to preserve the diversity of life have been largely inadequate.
The Science article stated that biological invasions have increased in Europe by 76% in the last 40 years are
increasing and invasive alien species - as stressed by the paper by McGeoch and co-authors published earlier
this year in Diversity and Distribution (16, 95-108) – are indeed a major driver of biodiversity loss, that in many
cases strongly affect the conservation status of threatened species.
Both of these recent articles report on some encouraging developments: 83% of the world’s countries have signed
international agreements to tackle invasive alien species, and 55% have adopted national legislation to control
and/or limit the spread and impact of biological invasions.
There are increasing cases of successful conservation actions, as in the case of the black stilt in New Zealand,
whose extinction has been prevented through a combination of predator control, habitat restoration and translocation
programs. As a result of active conservation, several threatened vertebrate species have improved their
conservation status sufficiently to be down-listed to a lower category of threat on the IUCN Red List.
It must be stressed that these positive outcomes are in most cases the consequence of successful eradication
programs that have removed the predators affecting species of conservation concern. Eradication is in fact one
of the most effective tools we have to respond to the continuing decrease in species’ numbers, also, the significant
advances in eradication science that have been gathered in the past decades.
The contributions presented at the international conference on “Island Invasives; eradication and management”,
held in Auckland, New Zealand in early February (see the article in this issue), clearly demonstrate these advances.
The number of eradications targeting several species simultaneously has much increased in recent years;
the risk of undesired effects of eradications have been minimised, and adaptive implementation of eradications
has prevented, or rapidly mitigated, potential unexpected chain reactions. Furthermore, we are now able to target
not only vertebrates, but also plants and terrestrial invertebrates, and to remove invasive species from large
areas, even on the mainland.
But management of invasive species is not the only tool we have in our hands. The experiences gathered in
several areas of the world have also shown that stringent biosecurity policies can prevent a large part of invasions,
protecting not only the environment, but also economies. For example, if Australia remains free of the
varroa mite – a pest that has caused the collapse of the honey industry in many countries of the world - this is
likely due to the strict biosecurity policy adopted in that country. A large proportion of the economic losses to
the European economy caused by invasive species could be prevented with stricter import regulations.
As Stuart Butchart said, commenting on the article published in Science (of which he was the primary author),
“2010 will not be the year that biodiversity loss was halted, but it needs to be the year in which we start taking
the issue seriously and substantially increase our efforts to take care of what is left of our planet”. The efforts
to tackle biological invasions will be a crucial test of a renewed global attention to the problems of the
life on earth we all hope to see at the end of 2010.
Piero Genovesi, ISSG Chair
General disclaimer
All material appearing in Aliens is the work of individual authors, whose names are listed at the foot of
each article.
Contributions are not refereed, as this is a newsletter and not an academic journal. Ideas and comments
in Aliens are not intended in any way to represent the view of IUCN, SSC or the Invasive Species Specialist
Group (ISSG) or sponsors, unless specifically stated to the contrary. The designation of geographical
entities do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN, SSC, ISSG
or sponsors concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning
the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
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