Invasive Species Council

If you care about the threat posed to Australia by exotic invaders, and you'd like to support the work we are doing, please join the ISC.

Australia needs a strong community voice on the issue of invading pests, and the tide of awareness is turning our way.

See the membership pages.

a continent under threat
Invasive species are a growing problem all over the world, and Australia, an isolated island state with a unique fauna and flora, is especially vulnerable. Over the years incredible harm has been done by such pests as foxes, rabbits, toads, carp, prickly pear, blackberries, rubber vine and the tree-killing disease phytophthora. At last count Australia had 2700 weed species and more than 200 marine invaders.

Weeds alone cost the economy $3.3 billion each year. Foxes are blamed for the extinction of several marsupials, and a new disease has been blamed for the disappearance of several frog species. The discovery of red imported fire ants in Brisbane in 2001 shows that major pests continue to invade.

Government reports concede that Australia is failing to address the threat properly. New pests keep entering the country, and entrenched pests keep multiplying.

Australia State of the Environment 2001, an independent report to the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage, has this to say (page 52): 'Australia has insufficient resources to tackle even those species of identified national significance, let alone the threat from new incursions...' It further admits: 'The risk assessment protocols, strategies for containment are all very weak for exotic threats in non-agricultural species'.

It was because Australia is not responding well that the Invasive Species Council was formed. We are the first group in the world formed to lobby against invasive species of all kinds (as opposed to groups that tackle other issues besides invasives).

The ISC became incorporated in July 2002, and we held our first public event on 26 August 2002 in Melbourne. Those of you who were there will recall the wonderful atmosphere. We have since received messages of support from all over Australia, and even from overseas.

This web site provides a brief introduction to the problems of invasive species and the work of the Invasive Species Council. Please contact us for more information. Meanwhile, check out our gallery of images of invasive species and their impacts.

Our newsletter, the Feral Herald, carries a range of articles on current invasive threats, and more about who we are.

The hot issues page presents information on some pressing issues, lists recent ISC actions, and opportunities for submissions and eCards.

We're also starting to build a list of links to other useful web sites.

Please support our work by becoming a member. Letters of support from related organizations that wish to formally support the ISC's Priorities for Advocacy are welcomed.

Further information on our committee, and our history.

See the help page for help on viewing the site - printing, menus, and to report any problems with viewing the site. This page also lists acnowledgements.

Has your organization considered endorsing the ISC's Priorities for Advocacy, to lend weight to our representations to state and federal governments.

campaigning

raising awareness

convincing our governments to act

Join Us... If you care about the threat posed to Australia by exotic invaders, and you'd like to support the work we are doing, please join the ISC. Australia needs a strong community voice on the issue of invading pests, and the tide of awareness is turning our way. See the membership pages.		Media Releases... Red Gum Shooter Plan Slammed, 30 Dec 2008 Plans threaten to give hunters greater access to Victoria's new Red Gum national parks. Download ISC Media Release - Red Gum shooter concession slammed (125KB acrobat pdf file) Deer hunting scheme will cost us dear, Dec 2008 Victorian Government asked to scrap new scheme promoting recreational deer hunting on farms. Download ISC Critique - Deer Hunting (1.9MB acrobat pdf file) Press Release - Deer Hunting (344KB acrobat pdf file) Thumbs up for Gamba Grass weed declaration, Nov 2008 ISC's media release on the Northern Territory Government's declaration of Gamba Grass as a weed. Download ISC Media Release - Gamba Grass (52KB acrobat pdf file) Savannah Cats Download ISC Media Release - Savannah Cats (96KB acrobat pdf file) Reports and Submissions... Essay Project - Is Recreational Hunting Effective for Feral Animal Control? 13 Jan 2009 Feral animals cause severe damage to Australian wildlife and ecosystems. The ISC strongly advocates eradication and control of these species to protect environmental values, but is recreational hunting an effective way of achieving these goals? Download ISC Essay Project - Is Recreational Hunting Effective for Feral Animal Control? (338KB acrobat pdf file) Submission - EPBC Act ISC's submission to the Australian Government's Inquiry into the Operation of the EPBC Act. Download ISC Submission - EPBC Act (268k acrobat pdf file) Submission - Quarantine and Biosecurity, 2008 ISC's submission to the Australian Government's Quarantine and Biosecurity Review Download ISC Submission - Quarantine and Biosecurity (120KB acrobat pdf file) Potential Projects 2008 Download ISC Potential Projects 2008 (476KB acrobat pdf file) Submission - Green Paper, 2008 ISC's submission to the Victorian Government's draft 'Land and Biodiversity at a Time of Climate Change' Green Paper. See below... Download ISC Submission - Climate Change Green Paper (164KB acrobat pdf file) The Gamba Declaration An open letter from scientists, calling for a ban on Gamba Grass across Northern Australia Download Gamba Declaration The Weedy Truth About Biofuels A Report from the Invasive Species Council, by ISC Project Officer Tim Low, with Carol Booth, October 2007. Download ISC Biofuels Report Adobe acrobat files If you don't have the Adobe Acrobat Viewer, download a free copy here. (approx. 10MB). After downloading, move the browser plug-in to the Plug-in folder in your web browser folder. See Acrobat Help... Articles appearing on these web pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the Invasive Species Council.
a continent under threat Invasive species are a growing problem all over the world, and Australia, an isolated island state with a unique fauna and flora, is especially vulnerable. Over the years incredible harm has been done by such pests as foxes, rabbits, toads, carp, prickly pear, blackberries, rubber vine and the tree-killing disease phytophthora. At last count Australia had 2700 weed species and more than 200 marine invaders. Weeds alone cost the economy $3.3 billion each year. Foxes are blamed for the extinction of several marsupials, and a new disease has been blamed for the disappearance of several frog species. The discovery of red imported fire ants in Brisbane in 2001 shows that major pests continue to invade. Government reports concede that Australia is failing to address the threat properly. New pests keep entering the country, and entrenched pests keep multiplying. Australia State of the Environment 2001, an independent report to the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage, has this to say (page 52): 'Australia has insufficient resources to tackle even those species of identified national significance, let alone the threat from new incursions...' It further admits: 'The risk assessment protocols, strategies for containment are all very weak for exotic threats in non-agricultural species'. It was because Australia is not responding well that the Invasive Species Council was formed. We are the first group in the world formed to lobby against invasive species of all kinds (as opposed to groups that tackle other issues besides invasives). The ISC became incorporated in July 2002, and we held our first public event on 26 August 2002 in Melbourne. Those of you who were there will recall the wonderful atmosphere. We have since received messages of support from all over Australia, and even from overseas.
This web site provides a brief introduction to the problems of invasive species and the work of the Invasive Species Council. Please contact us for more information. Meanwhile, check out our gallery of images of invasive species and their impacts. Our newsletter, the Feral Herald, carries a range of articles on current invasive threats, and more about who we are. The hot issues page presents information on some pressing issues, lists recent ISC actions, and opportunities for submissions and eCards. We're also starting to build a list of links to other useful web sites. Please support our work by becoming a member. Letters of support from related organizations that wish to formally support the ISC's Priorities for Advocacy are welcomed. Further information on our committee, and our history. See the help page for help on viewing the site - printing, menus, and to report any problems with viewing the site. This page also lists acnowledgements. Has your organization considered endorsing the ISC's Priorities for Advocacy, to lend weight to our representations to state and federal governments.