Vigilance key to preventing Asian black-spined toad incursions
National preparedness to manage future incursions of Asian black-spined toads into Australia has been strengthened with today’s launch of the National Preparedness Plan: Asian Black-Spined Toad by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.
Andreas Glanznig, CEO of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, said the Plan provides a valuable roadmap for governments to prevent, plan and respond to a possible Asian black-spined toad incursion.
“Asian black-spined toad is now widespread in Asia, including tourism hotspots frequented by Australians such as Bali. Like cane toads, the Asian black-spined toad is poisonous and can carry parasites from ticks and leeches to pathogens and fungi. If established in Australia, it has potential to spread disease while also competing with native species for food and habitat,” said Mr Glanznig.
“This threat isn’t hypothetical: individuals are discovered in the community from time to time: one was found in Melbourne’s south-east within the past 12 months. Between 2010 and late 2019, 66 incursions were intercepted at our border, mostly of single individuals. They were found in shipping containers, machinery and personal items like luggage, shoes and boxes ,” he added.
The Australian Government has classified the toad as an environmental biosecurity priority species, with its production of toxic substances causing harm to naive native species and possibly domestic pets.
Mr Glanznig noted that, “The toads have not only a significant environmental impact but can pose a direct threat to human safety, with reports that eating the skin and eggs can cause serious illness or even death”.
Routine border inspections continue to be an effective means of detecting incursions. However, if Asian black-spined toad evade detection, the toad’s capacity to breed up to 40,000 eggs per clutch would means the species would be difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate once well established.
The National Preparedness Plan: Asian Black-Spined Toad provides valuable information on:
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- the toad’s biology
- possible incursion pathways
- eradication potential
- impacts
- detection and euthanasia tools and techniques.
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Access the full report, National Preparedness Plan: Asian Black-Spined Toad.
It is also available as a resource for new and emerging pest threats on the PestSmart website and as a report for the Centre’s research project: Development of a national incursion management framework for invasive species.