The conference “Invasive Alien Species: Enhancing cross-border cooperation in Nutria management” was the occasion for water authority representatives, farmers and hunters to present their experiences and strategic approaches, and to show how cross-border cooperation between relevant stakeholders is crucial to manage the growing Nutria population in Europe.

The conference was hosted by MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik and MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz on 10 April 2018 at the European Parliament and organised by FACE, in coordination with the Dutch Water Authorities. It focused on the example from the northern Dutch-German border region. Nutria are on the EU list for invasive alien species, as they are a serious threat to biodiversity. They can create water safety problems and negatively impact agricultural yields in many parts of the EU.

Panellists from both regions explained that there is a clear need to work across borders with relevant stakeholders including farmers and hunters as part of the solution and to further innovate best practice approaches to managing Nutria. The participants urged the European Commission to take the problem very seriously and to promote collaborative cross-border. All participants are looking forward to spreading existing best practice approaches to other regions and countries.