Exploring the knowledge and application of biosecurity practices related to invasive alien species in field research in Croatia

Abstract

Accidental introductions of invasive alien species (IAS) are increasingly prevalent and costly. Anthropogenic activities, including fieldwork activities of researchers, pose a risk for the unintentional spread of IAS. However, specific biosecurity policies and measures to prevent accidental introductions and the secondary spread of IAS are lacking in many European countries, primarily relying on researchers’ awareness of the issue. This study aimed to evaluate the biosecurity practices of researchers in Croatia during their fieldwork activities through an anonymous online survey distributed to over 63 institutions. The survey was completed by 172 respondents from 45 institutions and aimed to assess their knowledge of IAS and awareness of biosecurity risks they can pose. The results showed that even though more than half of the participants worked in the field of biology and had at least some knowledge of IAS, the majority used only the most basic and least efficient cleaning approaches for fieldwork equipment, clothes, and footwear, which are not sufficient for preventing unintentional IAS introductions. Moreover, vehicle cleaning was the most neglected biosecurity measure in our study, with up to 60 % of respondents never performing it and only 12 % always performing at least some type of vehicle cleaning. Respondents with the best knowledge of IAS posed a significant risk during their fieldwork activities but at the same time demonstrated the best understanding of biosecurity measures and had the best biosecurity performance. Furthermore, students were identified as a high-risk group since they visited the highest number of locations during fieldwork and used the equipment most often but cleaned it the least frequently. Based on obtained results, we discuss potential interventions that could help manage accidental IAS introductions at the national and EU levels.