The National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases methodology and dataset

Overview

The National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases (abbreviated to Exotic Environmental Pest List (EEPL)) is comprised of 168 species from eight thematic groups of pests, weeds or diseases. The primary purpose of the EEPL is to facilitate activities that help prevent the entry, establishment and spread of exotic pests, weeds and diseases that have the potential for nationally important negative impacts on Australia’s environment and/or social amenity.

In 2018-2019, the species on the EEPL were assessed using the “Prioritisation methodology for exotic environmental pests and diseases: Scientific rationale”. The semi-quantitative assessment method was undertaken through a structured expert elicitation process. Species were assessed for their ability to enter Australia, establish, spread and cause nationally important negative impacts on the environment and social amenity in each of the eight thematic groups:

• weeds and freshwater algae
• vertebrate pests
• marine pests
• aquatic animal disease (including diseases of finfish, molluscs, crustaceans, cnidarians)
• animal disease (wildlife disease including diseases of marine mammals, turtles and amphibians)
• plant pathogens
• terrestrial invertebrates
• freshwater invertebrates

The EEPL includes a subset of 42 higher risk species that pose the greatest risk to Australia’s environmental biosecurity, comprising 5-6 species of the highest risk from each of the eight thematic groups.

The National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases Dataset was compiled from data collected during the expert elicitation assessment process used to develop the EEPL. It contains likelihood categories for entry, establishment and spread and the level of impact for environment and social amenity. Categories and level of impact are based on aggregated evidence provided by a group of experts for each species.

Download the dataset

Download the methodology