The 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.

You can view the whole programme here:

Forum programme (12th November 2024)

Invasive species are one of the five 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.

 

The day’s proceedings kicked off with a series of presentations from guest speakers.

They can all be downloaded below:

• Curbing the global threat of biological invasions: perspectives, predictions and policy (Prof Helen Roy, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology)

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

• 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)
  
  

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.

The Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Team produced some wonderful themed posters. They can be seen at the links below:

• 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

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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.

If you have any queries please email us on invasivespecies@daera-ni.gov.uk 

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Gallery from the Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative Forum