How to deal with invasive species that have high economic value?

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

The ever-accelerating process of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species (IAS) in marine waters requires engaging different actors in the management and planning. To address this challenge, stakeholders need an integrated approach for defining actions of control and management within an ecosystem-based framework: to seek and enhance coordination, collaboration and trust among all stakeholders affected by changes in linked marine social - ecological systems. This study explores the complexities and opportunities in managing economically valuable IAS, demonstrating the need for tailored management strategies that consider key ecological details needed for successful control such as timing of removals and key economic considerations such as appropriate incentive mechanisms and time horizons in favor of long-term conservation goals. We propose a set of actions that can serve as a roadmap for effective IAS control and management, considering their dual role as nuisances and valuable resources. These actions pertain to local, regional and international levels, encouraging meaningful stakeholder engagement through co-management structures that can foster the development of robust management plans, enabling better IAS control. The outcome holds potential for positive contributions to the blue economy— sustainable use of marine resources, including fisheries, tourism, and renewable energy— and for meeting sustainability objectives.

This work is a contribution of the EcoInvadiz project (P18-RT-5010) from the Regional government of Andalusia and the InvBlue project (PID2019-105978RA-I00) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), “Plan Nacional I + D”. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the handling editor Dra. Vanessa Adams for their comments on the manuscript. Their suggestions greatly improved its clarity and overall presentation. GF de Csingle bondS conducted this work under a postdoctoral contract of the Margarita Salas Programme, Spanish Government's Ministry of Universities, funded by NextGeneration EU funds (UCA/R155REC/2021), and the Spanish State Research Agency (PTA2022-021378-I). MK has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and programme under the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant agreement No 899546.

Peer reviewed