I believe countries should take a more active approach to looking after their native Flora & Fauna. Humans have come along and introduced many invasive species to all corners of the globe; these species continue to negatively affect the environment on a massive scale. Cane toads are one example, a massive problem in many places including Australia after they were introduced to supposedly eat the cane beetle, it didn’t work, now many Australian reptile species have declined in population since, yet the cane toad has multiplied into the hundreds of millions. That’s just one example here in Australia, where we have hundreds if not thousands of invasive species in everything from insects, fungi, animals & plants. I have a few that I personally despise like the plants Morning Glory, Lantana & Pampas Grass all inundating the beautiful Australian Bush, they take over the natural vegetation and give nothing for the native fauna to eat. They may be pretty to look at, but they have no place in Australia.

In the United States, there are several invasive species costing billions of dollars in economic damage, the Burmese Python in the Florida Everglades is one such example that has seen a massive decrease in the local mammalian population, including some nationally endangered species. In the 1870s a few hundred Starlings had been released in New York, now they are a pest with millions of them. The list of examples is almost endless of invasive species damaging native flora and fauna – Possums in New Zealand, Carp all over the world, Acacia Trees, Crab killing Crazy Ants, Starfish, and Mynas to name but a few
I feel that humanity owes it to Mother Earth to try and correct some of these atrocities. There are many ways that we could try and reverse some of these bad decisions made by our past generations. Depending on the invasive species will depend on what we can fight it with. I feel much more must be done in this area by all nations. Whilst we won’t be able to eradicate all the invasive species, the humans of this world can make a difference. We did it, so shouldn’t we try and fix it with input from a whole range of professions like farmers, horticulturists, biologists, scientists, and even the incarcerated to remove invasive plants! We must think outside the box forming a plan that even though it may take generations, it’s one that Mother Nature and our future generations deserve. It’s not often talked about as many see it as one of the problems that belong in the “Too Hard & Expensive Basket” I see it as a great way forward for humanity as it would not only create thousands of worthwhile jobs worldwide, but it would also restore some order to the Native Flora and Fauna of each country for the next generations to enjoy…