Created in 2016, the "
list of invasive alien species of concern for the European Union
" helps to fight against invasive species, animals and plants introduced by humans outside their region of origin and which now threaten our native species. .
It was updated on July 13 and now has 88 species.
Among the 22 newcomers, there are 17 animals and 5 plants, including 3 marine, 9 freshwater and 11 terrestrial species.
Six of them are still absent from Europe and highly monitored to prevent their infiltration.
In France, there are more than 2,000 invasive species according to the INPN (National Inventory of Natural Heritage), some of which have become familiar, such as the Asian hornet or the tiger mosquito.
About 10 to 15% of alien species arriving in Europe become invasive, often due to the absence of predators in their new environment.
According to Céline Bellard, ecologist in charge of research at the CNRS contacted by
Le Figaro
, "
the number of introduced exotic species continues to increase, there is no set-up
".
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“Quite a variety of risks”
Through their rapid proliferation, invasive species can cause irreversible damage to local biodiversity.
The risks are “
quite varied
” according to Céline Bellard, ranging from direct to indirect threats.
For example, the species may compete with its neighbor for access to food resources, such as snakehead fish (
channa argus
), a voracious predator and pike rival.
The bird called the red-bellied bulbul (
pycnonotus cafer
) destroys both fruit and flowers, starving its congeners.
Some can also be carriers of pathogenic diseases such as the clawed frog (
xenopus laevis
), an amphibian responsible for the decline of around a hundred vertebrates.
These species can even be major competitors in the long term: "
invasive alien species move twice as fast to respond to climate change
", explains Céline Bellard.
Beyond the environmental impact, all these threats have a high cost, especially when they affect agriculture.
According to a study published in the journal
Nature
, "
Between 1970 and 2017, biological invasions cost our societies $1.288 billion
".
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The man in question
Although global warming facilitates the establishment of species in certain cases, the primary culprit remains “
man and his trade
”, affirms Céline Bellard.
Indeed, many of them were voluntarily imported as part of trade between continents.
For example, the mosquitofish (G
ambusia affinis
), originally introduced to control populations of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, is now on the list of the 100 worst invasive species.
This is why this European regulation is important: “
when these species proliferate and disperse across Europe, they do not distinguish between political borders
”.
It makes it possible to be more efficient and coherent because "
French legislation alone would be completely useless
,” explains Céline Bellard.
The regulation is therefore broken down into three levels: preventing the introduction of new invasive species, setting up detection mechanisms and managing species that are already established.
This update also modifies their conditions of detention, prohibited for individuals and subject to authorization for establishments open to the public.