Opportunities and challenges in locally led marine biosecurity planning and monitoring

Description

Arctic and island areas are often far less isolated than they appear, connected and often reliant on vessel pathways that provide routes for the introduction of non-native species (NNS). Furthermore, while the drivers of NNS introductions are global in nature, impacts are felt locally and can be more damaging in these areas. As a semi-autonomous island archipelago with strong maritime connections, the Shetland Islands has implemented a co-developed biosecurity plan and a risk-based monitoring scheme for marine NNS.
Monitoring has been implemented using inexpensive, easily deployable settlement panels, supplemented with eDNA surveillance. A decade of biosecurity planning and monitoring has demonstrated the contribution that local actors can make to implementing biosecurity measures. Nevertheless, three new NNS have been detected in Shetland in the last 5 years, underscoring the limits of locally-led action in the face of transboundary pressures. Effective biosecurity requires better communication and coordinated cooperation across countries and regions.

Période	29 mai 2026
Titre de l'événement	UArctic Congress 2026
Type d'événement	Conference
Degré de reconnaissance	International