INV0022

Written evidence submitted by British Antarctic Survey (BAS)[1]

1.     Executive summary

This submission describes the science behind policy and management decisions relating to invasive species in Antarctica. Points to note:

• Antarctica is one of the last regions on Earth to remain largely un-impacted by invasive non-native species.
• The continent is protected under the Antarctic Treaty System, whose conventions are enacted into UK legislation through the Antarctic Act (1994; 2013).
• The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Polar Regions Department is responsible for the administration of British Antarctic Territory (BAT).
• The number of known introductions of invasive species is increasing and is recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity within BAT.
• The UK plays a leading role within the Antarctic Treaty System and in its development of international policy on non-native species.
• Implementation of biosecurity practices by the 18 nations operating within BAT is not consistently high.
• The UK has minimal mechanisms to control the actions of other Antarctic Treaty Parties in BAT due to Article IV of the Antarctic Treaty. Thus the UK are reliant on diplomacy, setting an example and our scientific expertise.
• Climate change and increasing visitation by scientists and tourists are likely to increase the risk of invasion of non-native species.

2.     Introduction to British Antarctic Survey

1. British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is recognised internationally for its scientific and logistics expertise. It is the UK’s national Antarctic operator, and is an institute of UKRI-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). 
2. Research outcomes from its multi-disciplinary science programmes form the basis of independent expert advice to Government on global issues such as climate change and sea-level rise, sustainable management of ecosystems, and hazards related to space weather.
3. BAS experts join the UK delegation to the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings; taking leading roles in the Committee for Environmental Protection and Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and in the preparation of expert papers.
4. BAS scientists are members of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) expert groups.  The role of this international organisation is to both coordinate research and provide independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System.
5. BAS leads a long-running research programme that investigates the implications of climate change and human activity on the native flora and fauna of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic; its scientists have published over 50 peer-reviewed research papers on non-native species in Antarctica.

3.     Introduction to British Antarctic Territory

1. The British Antarctic Territory (BAT) is a UK Overseas Territory (OT) that encompasses the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes 20°W and 80°W, forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole. BAT is mountainous and has an area of c. 1.7 million km2, bigger than all the other OTs combined.  Permanent ice covers c. 98.7% of the Territory.

2. BAT has no indigenous population and is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Polar Regions Department. HMS Protector, the Royal Navy Ice Patrol Ship, operates in the Territory.  The UK participates in international governance of the Antarctic Treaty area (i.e. the area south of latitude 60oS, which encompasses BAT) through the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

4.     How well is the UK and its overseas territories managing the impact of invasive species and controlling the risks of further invasion?

1. The Antarctic continent is isolated from the rest of the world by the Southern Ocean and successful natural colonization events are rare.  As a result, terrestrial biodiversity is low but highly endemic, and comprised of simple plants (e.g. mosses, lichens, liverworts) and animals (e.g. flies, mites and springtails). There are no native terrestrial mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, trees or shrubs.  Microorganisms dominate at climatically more extreme inland locations.  In contrast, large seabird populations breed predominantly on the coast and some inland locations.  Seals species breed on the coast and on sea ice. Marine ecosystems are biologically diverse and rich and show high levels of species-level endemism
2. Unlike the UK and most of its other Overseas Territories, BAT remains relatively un-impacted by non-native species.  The primary challenge is to keep non-native species out, in order to avoid degrading the scientific and environmental values of the Territory and avoid the substantial costs of managing them once introduced. However, BAT is particularly vulnerable to species invasion because it is:

• the closest part of Antarctica to another continent (i.e., South America);
• the least climatically extreme region of Antarctica;
• the largest focus of human activity in Antarctica (both governmental and tourism); and
• the region of most rapid climate warming, this being predicted to continue into the future.

3. Antarctic Treaty System agreements on non-native species are amongst the strictest in existence globally. These have been enacted into UK legislation through the Antarctic Act (1994; 2013). The introduction of all non-native species and non-sterile soil is prohibited, unless in accordance with a permit.  Antarctic Treaty Parties must plan and conduct their Antarctic activities to avoid non-native species dispersal and to ensure Antarctic biodiversity is maintained.

5.     Known pathways for the unintentional introduction of invasive species

1. Activities associated with operating scientific research facilities, and with tourism in the region, increase the probability of non-native species arriving from across the globe, particularly if appropriate biosecurity measures are not employed.  No trade or agriculture occurs within BAT, so invasion threats from these activities are negligible.  However, fishing occurs in the waters in and around BAT.

2. British Antarctic Survey operates three research stations within BAT. The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust operates the museum at Port Lockroy.

3. Governmental operators from 18 nations located in Europe, Asia and North and South America have established over 50 currently active research stations and facilities within BAT and more are planned.

4. Around 50,000 tourists land at visitor sites each year, predominantly from cruise ships. The Antarctic tourism industry is expected to increase.

5. Approximately 180 ships visit the Antarctic region annually (roughly one third research, tourism, and fishing), most of which visit BAT.

6. Cargo, machinery, fresh foods and associated packing material are major pathways for species importation into Antarctica.  Large volumes and a diverse range of materials are imported from all over the world on ships and aircraft. Visitors can also import soil and species on clothing, footwear and personal equipment.  Non-native marine species may be introduced adhered to vessel hulls, sea chests and intake ports as fouling species, and within ballast water. Fouling on vessels is likely a greater concern than ballast water due to a combination of international regulations and activity patterns.

6.     What are the risks of invasive non-native species migrating to the Overseas Territories from future climate change?

1. BAT has experienced substantial climate warming since the middle of the 20th century making it more likely that species from, for example, South America will colonise BAT, through either natural or human-mediated processes. Despite a recent pause in the warming trend, global ‘business as usual’ greenhouse gas emission scenarios suggest that BAT will be subject to rapid warming by 2100. It is the combination of increased human presence and activity and climate change that really increases the threat from non-native species.

2. Resulting warmer and wetter conditions will make it easier for introduced species to established and become invasive.  It could also result in a substantial increase in the area of ice-free ground in northern BAT.  Consequences of ice loss may include greater connectivity of existing biological communities, possible local extinctions of less competitive species, and the increased distribution of both native and non-native species.

3. Within the marine environment, climate change has resulted in a regional decline in seasonal sea ice cover, glacier retreat and collapse of some ice shelves. These changes open up considerable new areas and habitats (e.g., fjords) for colonization, and thus increase the diversity of opportunities for both native species and potential invaders. 

4. Currently all 13 of the known non-native species established within the Antarctic are terrestrial and restricted to within BAT.  All have been found in the vicinity of research stations and tourist visitor sites.  Recent eradications of introduced plants mean that most remaining macroscopic Antarctic non-native species are terrestrial invertebrates.  There is still only a poor understanding of the rate of non-native species arrival and establishment, especially for marine and microbial species, and levels are probably greater than currently known.

5. Human health is unlikely to be at risk from invasive species.  However, importation and movement of plant or animal pathogens (for example, between penguin and seal colonies) may pose an, as yet, unquantified threat.  The impacts of existing plant and invertebrate introductions on ecosystems are little understood, but invasive plants may outcompete native Antarctic plants and dramatic changes in soil ecosystem function have been recorded.  Furthermore, BAT comprises at least five distinct terrestrial biological regions (known as Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions), and movement of native species by human activities between different parts of BAT (inter-regional transfer) may disrupt existing patterns of species distribution.

6. Importantly, it is the combination of climate change and increased human activity that is expected to particularly increase non-native species numbers and distribution in BAT. Traffic between BAT and UK Overseas Territories (e.g. South Georgia and the Falkland Islands), South America and other sub-Antarctic islands will likely increase the number of introduction events and climate change will allow more non-native species to survive. Some non-native species from South America or sub-Antarctic islands may also migrate without human assistance to BAT and be able to survive.

7.     What actions should the UK take to mitigate the risk, or adapt to, climate migrations of invasive species?

With regard to BAT the following actions are recommended:

1. Leadership: Continue to drive forward non-native species-related research and policy development within the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and the Antarctic Treaty System, and promote communication and implementation of effective biosecurity practices by all nations active in the region.

2. Understand the problems and risks: Support applied research into the risks and impacts of non-native species and pathogen introductions, especially for marine and microbial non-native species, whose risks are poorly understood.

3. Prevention:  Support resourcing and implementation of effective biosecurity across the UK’s Antarctic infrastructure and supply chain, including in neighbouring ports in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.  A greater biosecurity effort across the UK South Atlantic Overseas Territories, including provision of a biosecurity hub in the Falkland Islands, is important to reduce the invasion risk across both South Georgia and BAT.

4. Monitoring:  Implement targeted, internationally coordinated and systematic monitoring for non-native species in marine and terrestrial environments, supported by appropriate taxonomic expertise.

5. Response: Develop:

• methods to eradicate non-native invertebrates and to remove non-native plant propagules found within seed banks;
• methods to eradicate introduced marine species; and
• appropriate contingency plans at sites identified as vulnerable to non-native species colonization.

8.     How should the UK work with the European Commission and others internationally to reduce the risk of invasive species?

1. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting has declared non-native species one of the highest priority issues in its Five-Year Work Plan and its Climate Change Response Work Programme. The UK convenes the Climate Change Response Work Programme implementation group.  Recommendation: continue to promote the focus on non-native species research and policy development.

2. An understanding of the level of biosecurity employed by the 18 National Antarctic Programmes operating with BAT is not easily obtained.  Recommendation: the UK should continue to lead by example, to raise standards of biosecurity implementation across BAT and the rest of Antarctica.  For example, other national operators with less stringent standards could benefit from using the British Antarctic Survey comprehensive biosecurity practices, as a model. 

3. The Antarctic tourism industry, through the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO; https://iaato.org/home), has been proactive in the development and application of biosecurity procedures.  However, the overall risk of introductions may increase if the number of tourists increases or biosecurity practices are not employed adequately. Recommendation: The UK should continue to promote good practices amongst existing and new Antarctic tour operators.

4. The UK has already taken a leading role in undertaking research, developing policy and implementing practical steps to reduce the risks from invasive species.  For example, the UK:

• led the revision of the Antarctic Treaty System’s Non-native Species Manual and is finalising a Non-native Species Response Protocol;
• developed with other Parties, through the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, several international Codes of Conduct to reduce the risk of introductions through scientific activities;
• led the designation of terrestrial protected areas to manage non-native species risk (e.g. Marion Nunataks);
• led the development of IMO approved Practical Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange in the Antarctic Treaty area; and
• successfully eradicated two non-native plant species as part of international teams.

About the authors:

Dr. Kevin A. Hughes, MRSB, is an environmental scientist with the British Antarctica Survey, leading research and policy work on Antarctic non-native species.  He is a member of the UK delegation to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and Vice-Chair of the Antarctic Treaty System’s Committee for Environmental Protection. 

Arlie McCarthy is a Ph.D. student with the British Antarctic Survey and University of Cambridge working on marine non-native species in Antarctica.

Prof. Peter Convey, FRES, FCPS, MRSB, is an Individual Merit Promotion scientist at the British Antarctic Survey specializing in the terrestrial ecology of polar regions, and a senior member of groups of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Linda Capper, MBE, MCIPR, is Head of Communication at the British Antarctic Survey and is responsible for promoting and explaining BAS research outcomes and impact to stakeholder groups, the media and public audiences.

Prof. Lloyd S. Peck is an Individual Merit Promotion level 2 scientist at the British Antarctic Survey and leads the Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptations team. He is an expert on adaptations of marine species.

Linked submission:

Belchier, M., Lee, J., and James, R. (2019). Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry: Invasive Species – Submission by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.

April 2019