In a previous ‘life’, I worked in the field of preventing the introduction of – and failing that, managing – exotic weeds, pests and diseases in backyards, farms, waterways and bushland across Queensland.
It was a career I loved and exposed me to some amazing and unforgettable places and people throughout the state.
So, a recent international report on the global impacts of exotic species prickled my ears.
It wasn’t just the mind-boggling statistics, facts and predictions that the report contained – it was the use of the word ‘alien’ instead of exotic to describe the pests and beasties.
To be honest, I like this use of the term alien in this context.
Exotic is reminiscent of a warm tropical beach, the alluring scent of spices and fascinating cultures and peoples.
The word alien conjures up an image of the chest-bursting creature Sigourney Weaver battled in the sci-fi movie of the same name (Alien). Something nasty, sinister, predatory, deadly.
And if you read about some of the parasites and their lifecycles … that’s not far from the truth.
The report revealed some startling facts, including:
• There are more than 37,000
alien species established
worldwide.
• Every year, another 200 new
alien species are officially
recorded.
• The known number of alien
species has increased by 37 per cent
since 1970.
• It is anticipated that the number
will increase again by 36 per cent by
2050 if nothing serious is
done to prevent them; with the
associated costs of managing
them expected to quadruple
every decade.
Focusing on Australia, we have over 3,000 alien species which are costing us approximately $25 billion each and every year in losses to agriculture and the costs in trying to combat these alien species.
Using the report findings, if we don’t step up our battles against the beasties, that cost figure will balloon to $100 billion by the mid-2030’s.
The recent honey bee varroa mite outbreak in New South Wales has shown us how much of an impact one very small alien species can have.
If you haven’t been following the ‘Alien-Watch’ channel, varroa is a 2mm mite that latches onto honey bees and their young, causing the bees to suffer and eventually die, wiping out whole hives.
They were found at Newcastle in New South Wales and despite intensive efforts to destroy them and control the movement of bees, they have now been discovered in most parts of that State. The impacts have been devastating for the honey bee industry, but could get much, much worse if the pest is allowed to spread further across Australia.
Not only will the production of our sweet and healthy honey be decimated, but so many cropping and farming industries that rely on the honey bee pollination prowess will fail. Crops like macadamia, almond, avocado, pear, apple, cherry, melon, peach, apricot, nectarine, plums pumpkin, zucchini, passionfruit, kiwifruit, canola, cucumber, coffee, soya bean, cotton and sunflower and all been identified as under threat if honey bees aren’t available to help pollinate their flowers.
And this is just one alien species we’re battling at the moment. Add them to Red Fire Ants, Myrtle Rust, Fall Armyworm, White Spot Disease, Red Witchweed, Banana Freckle … plus the 3,000 other alien species our land managers have to content with on a daily basis … the task is sizeable.
But stemming the tide is not impossible. It will take more funding in biosecurity programs – including at the local council level – as well as a greater sense of responsibility across the community that we all have a positive role to play in preventing alien species introduction and spread.
Are you willing to be like Ripley and stand up to the aliens?