A MANUAL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF VERTEBRATE INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES OF UNION CONCERN, INCORPORATING ANIMAL WELFARE

 

1.1. Project overview

This manual has been produced through the European Commission (EC) service contract ‘Identification, Assessment, Sharing and Dissemination of Best Practices for Humane Management of Invasive Alien Species’ (07.027746/2019/812504/SER/ENV.D.2.).

The aim of this project was to provide support for the management of vertebrate invasive alien species (vertebrate IAS), through lethal or non-lethal measures, including assessing their welfare implications, in order to strengthen the application of Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species.

We have collected information on the feasible management measures for the 22 invasive alien vertebrate species of Union concern listed as of December 2021 (Box 1) with a view to eradicating, controlling and/or containing their populations in order to minimise their impact on biodiversity and related ecosystem services. These measures have been assessed in terms of their costs and effectiveness, welfare impacts (e.g. sparing any avoidable pain, distress or suffering) and other possible positive or negative side-effects (e.g. on other invasive alien species, on non-targeted native species, on the environment or on human health).

Through a series of online technical workshops (Table 1) and additional engagement activities these assessments have been reviewed by experts from a range of stakeholder groups across the European Union, including from national authorities, academia, NGOs and practitioners in the field. Through these engagement activities, legislation regarding the management of IAS of Union concern within Member States, and any restictions or bans on their application have also been identified.

The final ‘management measure assessments’ are presented in full in Appendices 1-32, and the information on legislation for each Member State can be found in the ‘regional conditions’ Appendices 34-41. 

• Smith et al. (2022). A manual for the management of vertebrate invasive alien species of Union concern, incorporating animal welfare. 1st Edition. Technical report prepared for the European Commission within the framework of the contract no. 07.027746/2019/812504/SER/ENV.D.2. [PDF]