Target 9: Invasive alien species prevented and controlled

• IPLCs are taking proactive actions and initiatives to address the ever-growing serious threats and risks posed by invasive alien species to their cultural, economic, environmental, food and water systems.
• Effective partnerships between indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and other actors already exist at national levels, built on traditional knowledge and the actions of IPLCs to control, or use, invasive alien species; these partnerships have great potential for expansion.
• At the global level, IPLCs are actively promoting a holistic approach to reducing invasive alien species—identifying, assessing, monitoring, controlling and eradicating.

IPLCs can have differing approaches towards invasive alien species. IPLCs work to establish relations with all the species that make a home in their lands, waters and territories, and develop rules for interacting with, or protecting against, each species.¹ However, many species classified by scientists as invasive alien species are also of urgent concern to IPLCs because of their severe impacts. These impacts are a major threat to the livelihoods of IPLCs because through their disruption of ecosystems they damage many of the resources that IPLCs need to sustain a good quality of life. These include resources that are critical for food, shelter, health, security, social and cultural activities, and economic opportunities.²

The global cost of managing invasive alien species is estimated at US$1.4 trillion per year— close to five per cent of global gross domestic product.³ IPLCs, because of their direct dependence on local natural resources for their livelihoods, carry distinct burdens in terms of the negative impacts of invasive alien species. For example:

• Across Africa, invasive species threaten agricultural systems and crop productivity. For example, the fall armyworm can cause maize yield losses of up to 17.7 million tonnes a year, equivalent to US$4.6 billion,⁴ which is likely to affect IPLCs severely.
• Invasive species can also affect IPLC cultures. For example, over the last 10 years the emerald ash borer has infected ash trees on the lands and territories of the Mohawk people of Kahnawa:ke in Canada. This has affected traditional basket-making and raised concern about the potential loss of knowledge about the trees, as their population declines.⁵

IPLCs have first-hand knowledge of the impacts of invasive alien species on the biodiversity in their lands, as well as on their communities and their cultures. Many IPLCs are, therefore, working to learn more about these species and combat their effects.⁶ Because of their presence on the ground, IPLCs are often the first to detect the early warning signs, and are also well placed to monitor, manage and control them. In some countries they have begun to conduct risk assessments of invasive alien species, and to assess possible uses of newly arrived species. Examples of IPLC actions on the ground and involvement in relevant policy forums are highlighted below.

Community-based monitoring of invasive alien species

There are many examples where IPLCs play an important role in identifying and monitoring invasive alien species. For example:

• In Siberia and the Arctic, IPLCs have documented an increase in the appearance of ticks infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease).⁷ The spread of this ticks to the Arctic is associated with temperature increases in the northern territories.⁸
• The Guna people in Panama have developed a participatory map of lionfish sightings in their coastal marine waters. Lionfish is an invasive alien species that is extremely damaging to native fish species; it is also poisonous, posing a health risk to the Guna.⁹
• The Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand have collaborated in the development of a culturally based methodological framework for monitoring kauri dieback, which is caused by a deadly fungus-like exotic species.¹⁰

IPLC adaptations: finding new uses for invasive alien species

In some cases, IPLCs find uses for invasive alien species and adapt their livelihoods and cultural practices accordingly. Examples include the water hyacinth in Benin (see Box 19); the Kamchatka king crab on the Arctic coast of Russia and Norway,¹² which has become part of the local diet; cattails in North America, which are used both for food and for heating, replacing wood;¹³ and feral domestic cats in Australia, which are managed by Aboriginal communities for food and economic gain.¹⁴ Harvesting invasive alien species for use can be an integrated part of control mechanisms, thereby helping to protect native species from the impacts of invasive alien species.¹⁵

Collaborating with governments and scientists to manage and control invasive alien species

Many IPLCs actively manage and control invasive alien species on their lands, either alone or in collaboration with scientists:

• IPLCs in different parts of the world use traditional controlled burning, which destroys invasive weed species, including seeds, and allows local fire-adapted species to regenerate and recover.
• In Queensland, Australia, indigenous rangers have been working with NGOs and government since 2014 to detect, monitor and control pond apple infestations in the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Indigenous Protected Area.¹⁶
• In Canada, invasive alien species are co-operatively managed by the Council of the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada over their land and sea; they have successfully eradicated the North American rat.¹⁷
• IPLCs are working with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme to prevent, control and manage invasive alien species across the Pacific Islands, with support from the Global Environment Facility. Invasive alien species are the most important cause of extinction of endemic species in the region, and their management is a necessary cost of trade and transport between islands. A Pacific-wide strategy has been developed that includes resources to support learning, reporting, and education, as well as the management of invasive alien species across the islands.¹⁸

Collaborative approaches to management and control are particularly beneficial in that they can result in a more holistic approach to monitoring and management, and in the development of innovative approaches. They can also lead to improved mutual understanding and capacity-building.

In some cases, IPLCs have also taken measures to remove alien species that they had been encouraged to introduce, but which they later realised had harmed the environment. Box 20 details one such case from the Philippines.

IPLC involvement in policy forums

IPLCs participate in global policy processes related to invasive alien species and are also active in national policy and implementation measures in several countries:

• In some countries, IPLCs are participating in the development of national inventories and monitoring systems for invasive alien species. For example, in Norway the Saami have been working alongside the government and NGOs to obtain country data on invasive alien species. The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre incorporates the traditional knowledge of the Saami people.
• In December 2019, IPLCs participated fully in a meeting of the UN CBD Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on invasive alien species, which advanced work on advice and technical guidance for managing invasive alien species.
• The full and effective participation of IPLCs is expected in the invasive alien species assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which will run between 2019 and 2023. The assessment will incorporate information on IPLC responses to invasive alien species and on their adaptation and management strategies.
• The IPBES has established a task force on indigenous and local knowledge; it is also recognising IPLCs who are able to contribute as authors, reviewers or participants in workshops and review processes, and who can be included as resources and sources of information. The benefits for IPLCs must be fair, equitable and realised in order to recognise and acknowledge their input. Free, prior and informed consent is also applied and central to the IPBES’s work with IPLCs.
• Despite the above, there is little recognition of the role of IPLCs within the framework of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species¹⁹, which compiles information from more than 190 countries.

• IPLCs should continue actions and initiate programmes to manage invasive alien species within their territories, as part of local biodiversity strategies and action plans, applying traditional knowledge and community-based monitoring.
• IPLCs and their partners should build awareness of community-based monitoring and information systems (CBMIS) among governments and natural resource management professionals.
• Governments and relevant actors should increase financial, technical and other forms of support to upscale CBMIS of invasive alien species and for programmes to mitigate the impact of invasive species on IPLCs.
• Governments and relevant national and international agencies, in partnership with IPLCs, should develop and strengthen multiple evidence-based monitoring and response systems for invasive species, incorporating the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and including mechanisms for instant response where appropriate.
• Natural resource institutions, government departments, universities, research centres and NGOs should develop two-way transferrable skills programmes to foster capacity-building and mutual learning between IPLCs and scientists.

• Reo, N. J., Whyte, K., Ranco, D., Brandt, J., Blackmer, E., Elliott, B. (2017) ‘Invasive species, indigenous stewards, and vulnerability discourse’, The American Indian Quarterly 41(3).
• Ens, E., Fisher, J. and Costello, O. (Editors) (2015) Indigenous people and invasive species: Perceptions, management, challenges and uses. IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management Community Report. Available at: https://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/ens_et_al_2015_indigenous_people_and_invasive_species_iucn_cem_ecosystems_and_invasiv.pdf
• Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. ‘Impacts: Discover the economic, social and environmental impacts of invasive species’. Available at: https://www.invasive-species.org/impacts/