Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Forum

The National Biodiversity Data Centre hosted the inaugural Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Forum in Dublin on 12th November 2024. The Forum was attended by invited representatives from a wide range of sectors, including industry, public bodies, and non-governmental organisations.

This one-day event featured presentations, workshops, and feedback sessions, and facilitated debate and the exchange of information and ideas. Stakeholder engagement and collaboration are crucial for developing effective and appropriate invasive species policies, objectives, and actions.

Invasive species are one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss globally. By advancing our understanding of biosecurity and invasive species across the island of Ireland, this Forum aims to help preserve our Shared Island’s unique ecosystems and safeguard our economy from the growing threat of invasive species.

A summary of the Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Forum is available below, alongside links to presentations, posters and workshop notes. If you have any questions about the Forum or would like to give feedback, please email [email protected].

Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Forum Programme

View the programme here:

Forum programme (12th November 2024)

Forum Presentations

You can read and download the presentations delivered on the day here:

Curbing the global threat of biological invasions: perspectives, predictions and policy (Prof Helen Roy, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology)
Introduction to the Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative and the new Invasive Species Theme Plan (John Kelly, National Biodiversity Data Centre)
Ireland’s New Invasive Alien Species Regulations (Alan Moore, National Parks and Wildlife Service)
Building on our shared progress and successes – Progress in the battle against invasive species in Northern Ireland (Rose Muir, Northern Ireland Environment Agency)

The Forum programme also included a session of short five-minute presentations to introduce attendees to various topics and stimulate thought and conversation:

Tourists as vectors of biosecurity threats (Dr James Hanrahan, Atlantic Technological University, Sligo)
An overview of the Alien Species Work Programme at BIM the Irish Seafood Development Agency (Grainne Devine, Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
Integrating Plant Pest Risk Registers, National Surveillance and Inspector Training (Dr Conor McGee, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Tackling Invasive Species – progress made, building momentum (Colette O’Flynn, National Biodiversity Data Centre)

Thank you to the chairs of the presentation sessions; Claire Cooper, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Dr Sara McGuckin, Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

Screening of a New Aquatic Biosecurity Video

The Forum provided an opportunity to screen a newly developed aquatic biosecurity video, produced by the National Biodiversity Data Centre in collaboration with key stakeholders. The video serves as a Call to Action for all water users to adopt the Check Clean Dry code to help prevent the spread of invasive species and protect our waterways.

This video, and a series of shorter pieces from it, will be made available on www.invasives.ie and National Biodiversity Data Centre social media channels. When published, please help share the video’s message by engaging with it and disseminating it further. The video is an output of the Invasive Species Engagement Programme which is funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Workshops and Afternoon Sessions

In the afternoon, participants engaged in focused workshops that addressed data collection, early detection, rapid response strategies, and catchment management. These sessions provided a valuable platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, network, and collaborate on future work.

Click the links below to read summaries of the Forum’s afternoon workshops:

Workshop 1: Understanding contingency planning and rapid response.
Workshop 2: How can we work better together to manage invasive species at a catchment level?

Information Session

A knowledge sharing session was also held, where Alan Moore (National Parks and Wildlife Service) and Rose Muir (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) hosted an open discussion on invasive species legislation in their respective jurisdictions.

Click the link below to learn the three key themes that came from this session:

Plenary information session with Alan Moore and Rose Muir: Invasive species legislation in both jurisdictions.

Marine and Coastal Non-Indigenous and Invasive Species Steering Committee Meeting

The Marine and Coastal Non-Indigenous and Invasive Species Steering Committee held their first in-person meeting during the afternoon session. This was a closed meeting, with guest speaker Arjan Gittenberger presenting on lessons learned from his work on the “Trilateral Wadden Sea Management and Action Plan for Alien Species”.

National Biodiversity Data Centre Invasive Species Theme Plan Poster Session

Please see below links for the informational posters that were displayed for the duration of the Forum:

Developing Invasive Species Pathway Action Plans: Dr Ann Haigh, Pathway Action Plan Officer
Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning: Berni Moloughney, Risk and Contingency Officer
Engaging With People – Call to Action! Colette O’Flynn, Invasive Species Officer
Actions On Invasives: Kate Moore, Invasive Species Engagement Officer
Shared Island Citizen Science and Biosecurity: Rachel Hamill, Citizen Science and Biosecurity Officer
Towards an Invasive Species Management Strategy for Marine and Coastal Areas: Victoria Poppleton, Marine Invasive Species Officer

Forum Close

The day concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees explored future approaches and audience questions were addressed.

Thank you to Prof Frances Lucy, Atlantic Technological University, Sligo for chairing this plenary session.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions. Together, we can protect our shared island’s unique biodiversity for generations to come.