The regulation of alien species in South Africa

A key global change challenge is to significantly reduce the risks of alien taxa causing harmful impacts without compromising the rights of citizens. As part of efforts to address this challenge, South Africa promulgated comprehensive regulations and lists of alien taxa in 2014. In this paper, we review how the lists developed, changed over time, and how they have been implemented. As of March 2021, 560 taxa were listed under four broad regulatory categories, and between 2014 and 2020, almost 3000 permits were issued to regulate the continued use of listed taxa. The full lists of regulated taxa, permits issued, and corresponding regulations are available in the Supplementary material. A proposed standardised, transparent, and science-informed process to revise the regulatory lists is also presented – as of 30 April 2024, risk analyses have been developed for 140 taxa using the Risk Analysis for Alien Taxa (RAAT) framework and reviewed by an independent scientific body [the Alien Species Risk Analysis Review Panel (ASRARP)] with input from taxon-specific experts. These recommendations are being considered by an interdepartmental governmental decision-making body established in March 2023 [the Risk Analysis Review Committee (RARC)]. Finally, key issues with the listing of alien taxa in South Africa that remain to be resolved are presented. As South Africa’s regulatory framework continues to develop, the process of listing and regulating alien taxa will, we believe, become more transparent, consistent, and acceptable to stakeholders, and ultimately facilitate efforts to reduce the harmful impacts of alien taxa. Significance: The regulation of alien species is a major part of how South Africa addresses biological invasions. For this process to be effective, relevant stakeholders need to be engaged and involved. This paper outlines how species have been regulated in the past, provides regulatory lists in accessible formats, and analyses how the lists have changed over time. A transparent, science-informed process to update the regulatory lists is presented and progress to date reviewed. This process aims to engage interested and affected parties in efforts to preserve the benefits of alien species while reducing the harmful impacts of invasions. Open data set: https://zenodo.org/records/10809766