The Joint ESENIAS and DIAS Scientific Conference 2022 and 11th ESENIAS Workshop entitled ‘Invasive alien species under conditions of global crisis’ was held on 13–15 November 2022, in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual).

The conference was organised jointly by:

• General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (GDFA), Türkiye;
• General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies,Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye;
• East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species (ESENIAS);
• Danube Region Invasive Alien Species Network (DIAS);
• Mediterranean Fisheries Research, Production and Training Institute (MFRPTI), Demre, Antalya, Türkiye;
• Faculty of Agriculture, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (COMU), Türkiye;
• Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences(IBER-BAS), Bulgaria;
• Faculty of Agriculture, University of Forestry, Bulgaria;
• Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye;
• Association for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (SUEkos),Türkiye; and
• European Weed Research Society(EWRS) Invasive Plants Working Group.

The conference was opened by Dr. Mustafa Altuğ Atalay, General Director of GDFA, and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Uludağ and Dr. Teodora Trichkova on behalf of ESENIAS and DIAS. The communications were presented within 8 oral and 2 poster sessions. The following topics were covered: 1) Invasive alien species (IAS) traits and trends; 2) Vectors and pathways for IAS introductions; 3) The Danube River as invasive alien species corridor; 4) Invasive alien species impact; 5) Invasive alien species prevention and management; 6) Management and sharing of IAS data; and 7) Other topics.

Totally, 120 participants from 23 countries from three continents attended the conference, 56 in-person and 64 online. A total of 75 communications, including 6 keynote presentations, 45 oral presentations and 24 posters were presented and summarised in a Book of Abstracts. Selected full papers will be published after peer-review in the following journals:

• International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research  >>>
• Journal Of Agriculture and Nature  >>>

• Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research  >>>

During the 11th ESENIAS Workshop, participants discussed future collaboration, IAS issues to be addressed at regional level and potential funding opportunities.

During Conference excursions, participants had a boat trip to Kekova Island and visited Myra Ancient City and Church of St. Nicholas.

Some of the participants had the opportunity to visit the Mediterranean Fisheries Research, Production and Training Institute. In Demre, they visited the Beymelek Lagoon and the aquaculture facilities for production of fish fry of marine species (sea bream Sparus aurata, sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, meagre Argyrosomus regius, and others).

In the Kepez Unit, they looked at freshwater aquaculture facilities, including hatcheries and experimental recirculation systems for breeding and production of resource fish species used for stocking or research, such as the Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, stellate sturgeon A. stellatus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, wels catfish Silurus glanis, North African catfish Clarias gariepinus, and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, as well as production of ornamental fish. The Institute has developed a programme for breeding and re-stocking of protected and endemic fish species as the splendid killifish Anatolichthys splendens, Acipinar killifish Anatolichthys transgrediens, Antalya bleak Alburnus baliki, Antalya barb Capoeta antalyensis, and ‘doctor fish’ Garra rufa. The latter species, which is native to Euphrates and Tigris drainages, has recently become translocated and established population in Ilıca Stream (Manavgat, Antalya) (see Kaya et al.).

Some invasive alien species were observed in and around the conference venue and aquaculture facilities, such as: the American blue crab Callinectes sapidus, the long-spined sea urchin Diadema setosum (see Çiftçioğlu & Cerim) and the Indian fig Opuntia ficus-indica, some of them becoming of commercial importance in the region.

We express our sincere gratitude to the hosting institutions: the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (GDFA), the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, and the Mediterranean Fisheries Research, Production and Training Institute (MFRPTI), at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye!

We are extremely grateful to the Honourable Chair Dr. Mustafa Altuğ Atalay, General Director, and Co-chair Dr. Mahir Kanyılmaz, Head of Department at GDFA, as well as to Dr. Serkan Erkan, Director, and Dr. Durali Eraslan and Dr. Mehmet Ali Turan Koçer, Deputy Directors of MFRPTI!

We are thankful to members of Organising and Scientific Committees, the keynote speakers, chairs of sessions, and all participants!

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Programme  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Opening speech Dr. Mustafa Altuğ Atalay  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Opening speech ESENIAS & DIAS  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Posters  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Oral presentations  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Oral and Poster Session recordings  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Abstract Book  >>>

11h ESENIAS & DIAS Pictures  >>>

11th ESENIAS & DIAS Conference in the Media (DHA)  >>>  and  >>>