Study identifies 94 invasive species threatening Canary Islands biodiversity

A scientific study has identified 94 exotic species that pose a high risk to the biodiversity of the Canary Islands over the next decade. Additionally, researchers identified 49 other species with the potential to cause significant socioeconomic impacts.

Using a methodology known as ‘horizon scanning,’ a team of 37 specialists from 29 scientific institutions evaluated 823 animal and plant species. The research, published in the journal Diversity and Distributions, analyzed the probability of these species arriving and establishing themselves in the archipelago based on global distribution and invasive history.

Priority species identified include the red palm weevil, which can destroy palm trees, as well as the horseshoe snake, the white or ladder snake, and the common myna, an Asian bird that competes with local species and affects agriculture. Researchers noted that many of these species are not yet included in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Exotic Species, meaning they currently lack specific regulatory barriers.