Impacts of aquatic plant invasions on tourism and recreation

ABSTRACT

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed the way we use our environments locally and nationally, with a dramatic increase in 'staycations' and uptake in recreational activities, particularly utilizing freshwater habitats. There is high demand for accessible, safe and aesthetically pleasing locations for engaging in a range of water-based activities, such as paddlesports, boating and angling. Fresh waters, and the ecosystem services they provide, have increasingly experienced pressure from a range of anthropogenic stressors, including invasive non-native species (INNS). Invasive aquatic plants have significant impacts on freshwater systems, often dominating local environments. They can limit access to and navigation in watercourses and affect other water-based activities, which has consequences for tourism and recreational use. Once introduced, invasive aquatic plants can rapidly establish and spread, therefore biosecurity is essential to minimize the risk of introduction and subsequent impacts and management costs. While many invasive aquatic plants are undesirable for recreation and tourism, pathways of invasion including water-based activities, such as on boating and angling equipment, can spread them. To minimize the impacts of invasive non-native plants felt by those that enjoy the use of freshwater environments for tourism and recreation, collective responsibility should be encouraged to prevent the spread and enhance the management of established invasive aquatic plant populations.