The two-day course “Training Course for Specialists in Invasive Alien Species Management 2025” was held in a hybrid format on August 4 and 5 as part of the Hokkaido Summer Institute 2025. This marks the second iteration of the course, following HSI 2024, which was conducted in Japanese for working professionals with the aim of training practical specialists. While HSI 2024 offered this course as a three-day, 15-session intensive lecture, HSI 2025 condensed it into a more compact, two-day, eight-session intensive lecture to better accommodate working professionals.
As was the case last year, Professor Emeritus Tohru Ikeda was invited as the guest lecturer. Participants studied a broad range of topics, beginning with fundamental knowledge about invasive species in general and progressing to more specific domestic and international countermeasures as well as case studies concerning the control of invasive alien species.
On the first day, the lecturer began with a self-introduction. Professor Emeritus Ikeda was affiliated with the Regional Science Laboratory until the 2023 academic year, having spent many years involved in education and research. Currently, in addition to being an Emeritus Professor at our university, he serves as the Representative Director of Roundtable on Alien Species Control, Inc. , a company specializing in alien species countermeasures that he established after retirement. He is also involved in government policy as a Wildlife Protection and Management Planner (Ministry of the Environment) and an Advisor on Countermeasures against Damage to Crops by Wildlife (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). Regarding raccoons, which are becoming an increasing concern due to escalating damage, he is active on the front lines nationwide as a countermeasure advisor. Once the introductions were completed, Professor Emeritus Ikeda provided a detailed explanation of the course’s background, purpose, and learning objectives.
Following the foundational lecture, the course covered the trends and current status of invasive alien species globally and domestically, along with specific case studies on their impacts on nature and people. For example, it was explained that since the Age of Exploration, the movement of people and goods has driven species extinctions worldwide due to invasive alien species. Notably, massive numbers of species went extinct in Europe, North America, and Oceania. In contrast, Japan experienced relatively fewer extinctions than other developed nations. Unfortunately, in Japan, there is a lack of understanding about how difficult it is to eradicate an invasive species once it becomes established. Professor Emeritus Ikeda also explained that while border control measures are crucial for invasive alien species countermeasures, Japan’s biosecurity measures are incomparable to those of countries with robust biosecurity systems. The presentation highlighted that the problem of invasive alien species extends beyond threats to specific native species. Furthermore, it impacts ecosystems at all levels, including the decline and extinction of native species. While some impacts may be positive, the negative consequences are vastly greater. A specific example discussed was a tree in Mauritius already deemed doomed to extinction. Since only the dodo could disperse its seeds, the tree’s extinction became inevitable upon the dodo’s extinction. This illustrates how the extinction of one native species can lead to the extinction of another native species sharing its fate.
Day two featured lectures on invasive alien species, followed by sessions on effective and efficient control methods, strategies, and governance/policy approaches in various countries. The presentations explained that while there are successful examples globally of preventing alien species invasions or eradicating already widespread invasive species, these successes are limited. Moreover, it cannot be said that progress toward achieving international targets related to biological invasions is on track. While the necessity is widely acknowledged, the reality is that many countries lack sufficient funding for activities, and some regions lack data to support academic research.
Even countries blessed with funding and researchers are not without problems. The lecture highlighted the tendency to focus solely on “introductions from outside” as the primary factor driving native species to extinction, using the example of New Zealand, a leader in alien species management. In New Zealand, bringing species into the country is strictly restricted. Conversely, however, there is a lack of concern about “exporting” species from their own country, thus leading to the introduction of New Zealand’s organisms to other countries. One specific example cited was the contrast between the strictness of luggage inspections upon arrival at airports and the fact that duty-free shops at departure points sell plants and animals that could become invasive alien species in other countries. Even countries actively combating invasive species entering their own territory often fail to recognize the problem of species spreading from their country to others. Another example discussed involved measures against cats, recognized as the world’s most challenging invasive species to manage. Due to their popularity among enthusiasts, implementing control measures inevitably faces social backlash anywhere. This makes tackling the issue difficult regardless of country or region, presenting a challenge distinct from aspects such as funding or research.
This hybrid course attracted participants from both within and outside the university.