The illegal introduction of protected species can threaten biodiversity

Madrid, July 31 (EFE).- The illegal introduction of protected species can pose a threat to the balance of ecosystems, so it is urgent to implement measures to mitigate this problem, according to the conclusions of two studies conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Murcia and Miguel Hernández University (UMH).

The studies, which have been published in the scientific journals Biological Conservation and Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems , conclude that unauthorized introductions of endangered wildlife pose a dilemma for environmental managers.

This is because, on the one hand, these species are strictly protected by environmental legislation, so their eradication may contradict the regulations.

However, these species can, at the same time, alter the ecological balance, displace other native species, and even cause conservation conflicts.

14 illegally introduced populations

To reach these conclusions, the research team analyzed unauthorized populations introduced in Alicante, Murcia, and Almería, where they identified 14 populations of threatened fish and amphibians that had been clandestinely introduced into the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, outside their current natural range and without prior risk assessment.

"Of the 14 introduced populations we have identified, only the gallipato ( Pleurodeles waltl ), in the Sierra Espuña Regional Park (Murcia), was reintroduced in a place that had historically been part of its distribution area," the authors noted.

A flexible decision framework

According to the team, led by UMH researcher José Manuel Zamora, official relocations involve rigorous evaluations and can be rejected by environmental authorities if there are doubts about their impact.

Furthermore, he pointed out that institutional inaction in the face of these official reintroduction programs may be encouraging individuals to resort to releasing protected wildlife on their own.

A new population of the Iberian brimstone butterfly, one of the most endangered butterflies, has been discovered in Granada.

To address this problem, researchers have proposed a flexible decision-making framework that allows, on a case-by-case basis, to decide whether it is more appropriate to eradicate, conserve, or monitor introduced populations.

"Our results highlight the urgent need to establish clear guidelines to address this new and complex challenge for biodiversity conservation," said Zamora, who also calls for the precautionary principle to prevail above all else.