Invasive species

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Invasive species are plants or animals that are not native to the province, or are outside of their natural distribution. Invasive species negatively impact British Columbia’s environment, people and/or economy.

Free from their natural enemies and other constraints that keep them in check in their native ranges, invasive species are recognized globally as the second greatest threat to biodiversity after direct habitat loss due to humans.

​By monitoring and taking action we can eliminate new invasive species introductions while populations are still localized and relatively small.

Online training available

All Provincial government staff, contractors, partners and volunteers working on Provincial Public Land and Water are encouraged to take the free Introduction to Invasive Species Online Training that focuses on best practices to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species while you are doing your job. Allow approximately 2 hours for this training.