Invasive alien species (IAS) are plants, animals, and micro-organisms that, once introduced or spread, threaten the environment, the economy or society, including human health. According to the 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, IAS are one of the top five direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally. It is also anticipated that the damage caused by IAS is, and will be, further aggravated by climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and human-induced disturbance.
IAS have been identified as a priority threat to species at risk in the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada. In fact, IAS not only threaten species at risk, they can also undermine efforts to conserve and protect species at risk’s native ecosystems as well.
In 2004, the federal government, working with its provincial and territorial counterparts, developed An Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada. This national strategy seeks to safeguard Canada’s native biodiversity and protect domesticated plants and animals from IAS. It establishes four priorities:
prevention of new invasions
early detection of new invaders if prevention fails
rapid response to new invaders
management of established and spreading invaders (containment, eradication, and control)
An 18-month review of the implementation of An Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada was conducted in 2015-16. A report with recommendations resulted from the review and was released in 2017.
In 2021, in order to better understand expenditures linked to IAS, Environment and Climate Change Canada, with support from the federal-provincial-territorial Invasive Alien Species National Committee, commissioned the Invasive Species Centre (ISC) to conduct an online survey to estimate annual expenditures incurred by municipalities related to IAS management.