The report from the government scientific agency CSIRO explained that the climate change, international trade and displacement, as well as extreme weather events – including floods, fires and drought – have driven the spread of invasive species on the planet.
The study entitled “Fighting pests and predators: Australia’s path to a future without invasive species” pointed out that these invasive species are putting more than 1,250 terrestrial animals and plants are endangered threatened Australians from Australia, equivalent to eight out of ten of them.
Australia is home to unique species such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, emus, and Tasmanian devils, among others.
Since the British colonization of Australia in the 19th century, “invasive species have already contributed to the extinction of 79 indigenous Australian species,” said Andreas Glanznig, co-author of this report and executive director of the Center for Invasive Species Solutions in Australia. CSIRO.
Much of the blame for this extinction is 207 weed species, 57 invasive animals and three pathogensAccording to this study, which puts the cost of the damage caused by these invasive species in the last six decades at at least 281,385 million dollars (250,458 million euros).
Some of the biggest threats are european rabbits, which have infested two-thirds of Australia, followed by feral cats, pigs, foxes and cane toads, according to the report, which recommends that Australia focus on innovative solutions for major feral animals over the next 30 years.
Invasive species too cause serious damage to the agricultural sector causing an increase in the prices of food and forage, according to the CSIRO report.
The report highlights the need to accelerate biosafety technologies emerging and urgently develop new techniques to prevent, eradicate and control invasive pests in Australia, a country where there are 2,700 species of weeds and a new one appears every 18 days.
“Urgent, decisive and coordinated action is crucial to stopping the spread of invasive species and protecting our unique and irreplaceable indigenous plants and animals, and Australia has a great track record in this area,” remarked report co-author Andy Sheppard, senior scientist. of the CSIRO.
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