Preventing extinctions is too important to rule out genetic engineering 

Ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, over 100 scientists and conservation leaders have issued an open letter. They are urging the global conservation community not to rule out the potential of synthetic biology. Instead of a blanket moratorium, they call for a science-based, case-by-case approach. In this critical juncture, Dr. Piero Genovesi, Head of Wildlife Service at the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Invasive Species Specialist Group, has penned an exclusive op-ed for us. Leveraging his deep expertise in invasive species management, he implores IUCN members to reject the moratorium on genetically engineering wild species and microbiomes, highlighting how these advancements could provide humane, targeted, and scalable solutions to restore ecosystems and avert further extinctions.

The Threat of Invasive Species

From the lionfish encroaching on native species (1) off the coast of Italy and across the Mediterranean to the brown tree snake (2) threatening birdlife in Guam, invasive species are one of the biggest threats to global biodiversity.

Non-native species have contributed to 60 per cent (3) of known extinctions, most of which happen on islands, with the annual global economic cost quadrupling every decade since 1970. In 2019, the losses caused by invasive species exceeded US $423 billion (4).

And the threat is growing. If past trends continue, the total number of alien species will increase by an estimated 36 per cent (5) at least by 2050 compared to 2005.

While preventing the spread of non-native species through strict biosecurity measures is the optimum defence, eradication programmes for invasive species, including rodents on islands, have in some cases successfully restored ecosystems. This has allowed native species to return to thriving, healthy habitats.

One example is the project to eradicate rodents from Lord Howe Island, an island off the coast of Australia that is rich in unique biodiversity. Efforts to eradicate invasive rats and mice are expected to avoid seven extinctions (6) over the next 20 years, allowing four species, including the Kermadec petrel, to return free of the risk of predation.

Limits of Existing Tools

But existing tools, including the use of rodenticides, are reaching their limits while the urgency continues to rise. Without exploring new, responsibly developed tools, such as genetic engineering, the world is at risk of not meeting global biodiversity targets and reverse current extinction trajectories.

In the last 20 years, the number of successful eradications of invasive species has slowed (7) as conservation efforts target larger islands, which come with greater cost, risk and complexity. Lord Howe Island, for example, is the largest, permanently populated island on which the eradication of rodents has been undertaken to date.

Among the challenges of large-scale eradications on populated islands is the risk of using toxic rodenticides that could inadvertently affect non-target species while also causing suffering to invasive mice and rats.

The Promise of Synthetic Biology

However, synthetic biology, including genetic engineering, is a promising area of research that offers the potential for new, scalable, cost-effective conservation tools.

Gene drive, for example, is an emerging technology that could allow conservationists to bias the inheritance of male chromosomes in invasive species and control targeted populations through attrition. This option, if proven to be safe and effective, would be a more humane, cost-effective and targeted way to eradicate invasive species, minimising the risk to other, native species.

Such a technology could have a profound impact on our ability to restore threatened ecosystems and prevent more extinctions of endangered animals and plants. This is why, until we know the full potential of these technologies, ongoing research must be allowed to continue within existing regulations and ethical frameworks, ensuring rigorous assessment and careful consideration of all potential ecological impacts.

Cautious, phased research into synthetic biology is under way around the world, showing promise that is too significant to ignore. A moratorium on genetically engineering wild species, as proposed to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) before the World Conservation Congress, would therefore waste decades of cutting-edge research and compromise potential breakthroughs.

Rejecting a Moratorium for Responsible Innovation

The proposed moratorium would have a chilling effect on synthetic biology research, rendering it unviable and discouraging funders, leaving the world ignorant of the possibility of saving endangered species, biodiversity and planetary health.

In response to such calls, the IUCN should take this opportunity to show leadership and support for responsible research and use, embracing continued responsible innovation and recognising national-level decision-making according to context-specific needs and circumstances.

Without question, invasive species are a major threat, destroying ecosystems and pushing native species to extinction, while also threatening human health and damaging economies.

The break-neck pace of the ongoing sixth mass extinction means we cannot afford to shut the door on solutions before we have the chance to fully explore and understand them.