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Published recently as an open access encyclopaedic book, Biological Invasions in South Africa provides the reader with information on 1422 alien species including, among others, plants, birds, mammals, fish, terrestrial invertebrates, invasive marine organisms and disease-causing microorganisms that have naturalised or become invasive in the country. Comprising 31 chapters, it covers themes such as the history of research in South Africa, detailed accounts of major groups of plants and animals, policy development, the development of a robust ecological theory about biological invasions, the effectiveness of management interventions and scenarios for the future regarding biological invasions in the country. Biological Invasions in South Africa can be downloaded for free at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-32394-3.

A newly developed index identifies areas of the Mediterranean Sea which are most affected by non-native, invasive alien species introduced through the Suez Canal, by aquaculture or through shipping. The top invaders appear to be algae, according to the JRC study. The Cumulative Impact of Invasive Alien species (CIMPAL) index calculation brings together datasets on IAS distribution with literature information on the impacts of IAS on biodiversity.

Today's announcement by federal agriculture minister David Littleproud to establish an office of environmental biosecurity will better prepare Australia to prevent and respond to new harmful pest, weed and disease invasions. The decision was announced today as part of a $138 million boost in investment for national biosecurity, including $7.6 million over five years to establish the office, headed by an Environmental Biosecurity Protection Officer, within the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

ITP, in collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, is pleased to release The BeeMD at idtools.org. The BeeMD will help beekeepers and others concerned with bees quickly identify honey bee health issues (including colony collapse disorder), through an interactive, visually rich, informative, and easy to use website. This release includes much of the content from the original website first published in 2016. On this new platform, the “visual key” has been completely restructured and streamlined, and the entire website redesigned and expanded, offering additional informational, visual, and supportive content.

Aquatic invasive species inflict millions of dollars of ecological and economic damage to the Great Lakes, with impacts on coastal industries, water quality, native fish and wildlife and human health. Recently, Blue Accounting, in partnership with state and federal agencies, launched a new suite of web-based resources and tools to support early detection of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes. The earlier new aquatic invasive species are detected, the easier and less expensive it is to avoid potentially devastating consequences of a large invasion. The new tools released by the Blue Accounting initiative help target efforts to focus on high-risk species and locations across the 11,000 miles of shoreline and 94,000 miles of surface area that make up the Great Lakes basin.

Our new Web site for the National Invasive Species Information Center recently launched. We hope you find the new site easier to use and find the invasive species you are looking for.

Please check out  highlights of our major changes. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or if you would like to provide feedback.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation (NZDOC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) officially signed a Declaration of Intent which sees the NZDOC become the first partner of the Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS). The PRISMSS is a regional mechanism, which facilitates the scaling up of invasive species management in the Pacific. It provides management support for on-the-ground invasive species actions through streamlining and coordinating activities and invasive species management experts. It has five regional programmes, each with an expert who will lead in their respective field. One of these programmes is 'Resilient Ecosystem-Resilient Communities' in the area of relocation of species to restored habitat, which SPREP and NZDOC will be the leading experts of.

Prime Minister John Key has today announced the Government has adopted the goal of New Zealand becoming Predator Free by 2050. "While once the greatest threat to our native wildlife was poaching and deforestation it is now introduced predators," Mr Key says. These introduced pests also threaten our economy and primary sector, with their total economic cost estimated at around $3.3 billion a year. "That’s why we have adopted this goal. Our ambition is that by 2050 every single part of New Zealand will be completely free of rats, stoats and possums."