Researchers call for a action plan against invasive species in the Canary Islands

Researchers call for a action plan against invasive species in the Canary Islands

CSIC researchers warn of the presence of invasive species on the islands and call for the implementation of a coordinated strategy to stop the introduction of foreign animals and plants that threaten the rich biodiversity of the fragile Canary Islands ecosystem.

Researchers from the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA) of the CSIC have studied the recorded data on the presence of the Barbary ground squirrel, or Atlantoxerus getulus, endemic to Morocco and Algeria, in the Canary Islands. Introduced in Fuerteventura in 1965 as pets, this species of squirrel was able to virtually colonise the entire island in the 1980s.

It is now considered an invasive species whose possession, commerce and transportation are legally banned. However, the available data indicates that between 1996 and 2006 at least 30 of these squirrels were translocated between islands.

The authors of the article argue that these data show the absence of a rigorous protocol for the control of invasive species in the Canary Islands and also warn that the number of smaller invasive species transported without any control from one island to another might be even higher. Given that the other Canary Islands are even more climatically suitable for the Barbary ground squirrel, the uncontrolled transport of these animals from Fuerteventura is particularly alarming. 

European Regulation 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species established January 2016 as the final date for the implementation of protocols for the control of invasive species in all nations, but the enforcement of this measures is delayed in the archipelago.

The researchers of the Island Ecology and Evolution Group, belonging to the IPNA, argue that removing naturalised invasive species is more expensive than preventing their introduction.

They also note that the European regulation indicates that these action plans should be more restrictive in the outermost territories, and tailored to the specific needs of the territory.  Researchers remind us that this is not the only invasive species to be found in the archipelago and point to the case of another species that is highly detrimental to the biodiversity of the Canary Islands, such as the California kingsnake that was recently spotted in Tenerife, as a sign of the need to establish a plan to contain the impact of the proliferation of these animals. In the case of the Barbary ground squirrel the only action taken to prevent its transportation to other islands was to place information plaques at airports and ports in the 1970s, but these only remained in place for a few years.

The authors of the article argue that the implementation of stricter measures - such as those adopted in other regions of high biological diversity such as New Zealand, Australia or Hawaii and which include early detection and rapid response to minimise impact - should also be a priority in territories with rich native biodiversity such as the Canary Islands, and would be a way of improving the sustainability of its ecosystem in line with the environmental challenges. In addition to detection and intervention, researchers call for a public education programme to inform society about the risks related to invasive species in the Canary Islands. 

This research is financed by the Tenerife 2030 programme (P. INNOVA 2016-2021 of Cabildo de Tenerife) and doctoral grants from Gobierno de Canarias.

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Ardilla Moruna