Biological invasions and invasive species in freshwaters: perception of the general public

Abstract

ABSTRACT For management strategies aimed at biological invasions, a detailed survey of the general public’s knowledge is crucial. For this purpose, our present study aimed to (i) investigate the level of comprehension regarding biological invasions, (ii) assess the ability of responders to discriminate between invasive and native species, and (iii) evaluate the conservation support. Increased awareness of biological invasions on the part of the respondents positively influences the willingness to protect native fish and crayfish species and not their invasive counterparts. Higher identification scores of species by participants significantly decreased the conservation support of invasive species. Female respondents were more willing to protect a species, including invasive ones. Respondents could discriminate between native and invasive fish species to a significantly better extent than between native and invasive crayfish. Without public awareness and citizen-aimed education, we will be unable to conduct sustainable management and prevent further species’ introductions and translocations.