Prioritizing Invasive Alien Species Management in Chile Experience and integration to update public policies
The Chilean Ministry of Environment conducted an exercise in 2022 to assess the risks posed by 100 invasive species already established or at risk of arrival and establishment in Chile, and the options for managing them. The process involved 100 experts from both Chile and the global invasive species community, and culminated in a three-day workshop held in June 2022. The results were used to list species in terms of the risk they pose to Chile’s native biodiversity and to prioritize species in terms of the most feasible and cost-effective approaches available for their management.
In 2023, Law No.21,600 was approved, creating the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service in Chile. This service represents a major step forward for biodiversity conservation and invasive alien species management in the country. As a result of this law, the Ministry will be able to establish an official list of invasive alien species, on the basis of which the Service will be able to develop prevention, control, and eradication plans, as well as mitigate the impacts caused by these species. In addition, the service will be able to identify areas at risk from specific invasive species, including the establishment of biosecurity barriers and measures to prevent the introduction of new species.
The prioritization exercise conducted in 2022 is expected to be the basis for developing the first versions of the Invasive Alien Species List, as well as a prelude to the prioritization of actions to be undertaken by the new service. This exercise is the first step in the prioritization of species, which will be an important input for the implementation of the new environmental institutional framework in Chile.
Support for policy
15