Experts sound alarm after invasive, acid-spraying ants spread along coast: 'It's extremely concerning'
Acid-spraying yellow crazy ants have been found at the gateway to K'gari, also known as Fraser Island. Locals and experts are calling for biosecurity checks to keep this invasive species from wreaking havoc on the World Heritage Site.
According to ABC News Australia, "the 500,000 annual visitors to the island are not subject to routine checks and vehicles belonging to residents, tourists and four-wheel drive enthusiasts could transport yellow crazy ants or other invasive species to the island."
Yellow crazy ants are number six on the Global Invasive Species Database's list of the 100 worst invasive species. The aggressive creatures came to Australia through its ports in the 1930s and have since spread to a few areas on the continent.
The main concern is that these ants could travel into new areas, like the Fraser Coast, on vehicles without people knowing. Having stations where vehicles could be cleaned and inspected could help keep the ant species from spreading.
"My first reaction is fear," Sue Sargent, Natural Integrity Alliance for K'gari chair, told ABC. "It's extremely concerning."
The spread of an invasive species can destroy native ecology by outcompeting native species for important resources. This is especially important with the changing climate forcing some species to migrate and adapt to new environments.
Protecting native species is important because native plants and animals have a synergistic relationship from centuries of evolution.
Declining populations of important ecosystem members like pollinators jeopardize the food supply of the animals in the ecosystem and the global food supply.
Invasive species also have important impacts on population health, sometimes driving native species to the brink of extinction. They can also introduce new illnesses to humans, such as the West Nile virus, and to plants, like the Chestnut blight.
Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?
Absolutely
It depends on the species
I don't know
No — leave nature alone
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Around the world, conservationists are working to protect ecosystems and native species from invasive threats.
In South Carolina, officials are working to protect honeybees from invasive wasps. Much of the United States is dealing with the invasive lanternfly. A restaurant in Phuket is dealing with invasive species by cooking them into Michelin dining.
According to ABC, K'gari officials will have a biosecurity strategy completed by the end of 2025.
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