Adelaide, Australia – A recent study led by Jacob Maher and conducted by a research team at the University of Adelaide has uncovered a concerning proliferation of hundreds of illegal weeds advertised on a prominent public online marketplace in Australia. Among the most frequently advertised illegal weed species were cacti and pond plants, both of which are prohibited in Australia due to their adverse impact on the environment and agriculture.
The study, published in the open-access journal NeoBiota, highlights a significant challenge facing Australia’s efforts to safeguard its native ecosystems and agricultural industry. Ornamental plants, typically cultivated in homes and gardens, have become a primary conduit for the introduction of invasive weeds to new areas. Some ornamental plants can escape into the wild, becoming invasive and posing a threat to native species and agricultural practices.
With the rise of online trade platforms, plants are increasingly being bought and sold on the internet, enabling the distribution of a wide range of species to distant locations. Unfortunately, a lack of effective surveillance and regulation of this online trade has resulted in the widespread exchange of invasive species.
To address this issue, scientists from the University of Adelaide have employed specialized software known as ‘web scrapers’ to monitor online trade on public classifieds websites. These web scrapers automate the collection of online advertisements, enabling the researchers to identify thousands of advertisements for prohibited weeds over a 12-month period.
Despite strict Australian laws prohibiting the trade of harmful weeds, the study found that such advertisements were prevalent across the country. Some of these advertised weeds were associated with various uses by traders, including food and medicinal purposes. However, the most popular uses were linked to pond and aquarium plants, which are often utilized for water filtration and as habitat for fish.
In response to their findings, the researchers are advocating for the adoption of web scraping technology by governments to aid in the regulation of online plant trade. They also emphasize the importance of raising public awareness about this issue and urge online marketplaces to cooperate in efforts to curb the trade of invasive species.
Jacob Maher, the lead researcher, stated, “Currently, these online marketplaces allow people to advertise and purchase invasive species, whether they are aware of it or not. Regulation is needed, but we also need to cultivate awareness among plant growers about this issue, and we need assistance from marketplaces to regulate trade on their platforms.”
Encouragingly, the technology developed in this study is now being employed by biosecurity agencies in Australia to monitor and regulate the illegal online trade of both plants and animals. This collaborative approach aims to mitigate the risks associated with the unchecked spread of invasive species through online marketplaces.