Invasive species cause $1.4 trillion of losses a year globally

Costs of damage caused by invasive species globally are estimated to be a staggering $1.4 trillion per year. The inaugural meeting of the Int’l. Congress on Biological Invasions convened in Fuzhou, China, in November with the aim to “Strengthen international collaboration and work together towards managing biological invasions under global change”. The enormous threat of invasive species continues to require more attention by policy-makers globally. The congress heard the latest figures from China, that suggest there are now more than 500 species which are recognized as being invasive. About 300 of these species have proven to be harmful. More than half of the 100 dangerous alien species listed by the World Conservation Union have been found in China.
Invasive Alien Species are comprehensively addressed under Article 8h of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the ICBI meeting was an important contribution to the CBD process. The United Nations has declared 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity. As invasive species constitute the 2nd biggest threat (after habitat destruction) to biodiversity globally, the timing of ICBI 2009 in the lead-up to 2010, was particularly strategic.
Key outcomes of the 2009 congress include:
1. A call to governments, international organizations and conventions to reaffirm their commitment to CBD Article 8h, to prioritize invasive species and provide the necessary resources to address this global threat.
2. Establishment of an Int’l. Expert Committee to provide scientific, technical and policy guidance to the Int’l. Congress of Biological Invasions on the development of an ICBI website, e-newsletter and a forum for the exchange of scientific ideas and capacity building.
3. Agreement that the Int’l. Congress on Biological Invasions would in the future be held on a regular basis (4-year interval).