Policy DirectionDespite posing a serious threat to global biodiversity, national and international
management efforts have not been able to limit the spread of most invasive
species. In highly dispersive species, local invasions may be followed by regional
range expansion that crosses international borders. In such cases, independent
management efforts of the invading population may be futile unless international
collaboration is practiced.
2. We focus on the ongoing human-mediated
invasion of the common myna
Acridotheres tristis into the Mediterranean basin, a region rich in overall numbers
of species and endemic species, where common mynas have been introduced
into a handful of countries. Some introductions were followed by subsequent
range expansions into neighbouring countries. This species poses major threats
to the biodiversity of the Mediterranean which is already susceptible to biodiversity
loss as the result of ongoing land use and climate changes. Without
action, this species and possibly others similar to it, could have severe consequences
for native ecosystems.
3. Policy implications. Given the regional scope of its invasion in the Mediterranean
basin, common myna management requires an international collaboration to
successfully prevent additional introductions and range expansions and to avoid
accelerating threats to Mediterranean biodiversity, already at risk as a result of ongoing changes in land use and climate. We argue that international reciprocal
transfer of information and the development of regional mitigation are essential
for the successful management of the invasion of the common myna and other
species into the Mediterraneaninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio