NON- NATIVE
SPECIES Richard Benyon, Environment Minister
We often read about the problems caused by ‘alien’ species, with frequent stories in the news about the likes of the grey squirrel and its impact on the native red population. Non-native species are those that have been taken from their natural habitat and introduced to our country by the activity of humans. Most of these are not harmful and have contributed positively to the natural history and economy of Great Britain - without food such as tomatoes and potatoes our diet would be more boring, and our gardens would be duller without the sweet peas and sunflowers that add colour.
However some non-native species can have a devastating impact, affecting native animals and plants and causing £1.7 billion worth of economic damage every year to the British economy.
Japanese Knotweed is a well-known pest to many industries in Britain. A vigorous weed that can grow through tarmac, erode riverbanks and clog waterways, every year it drains about £150 million from the UK’s economy - costing tens of millions of pounds to clear from the Olympic site alone.
Over £2.5 million is spent each year on limiting the damage caused by American signal crayfish to UK waterways. This invasive species poses a threat to the survival of the native white-clawed crayfish through competition, predation and the spread of crayfish plague. Signal crayfish also frustrate angling activity by stealing bait from lines and damaging our river banks with their burrowing activity.
The Government’s approach to invasive non-native species is set out in the Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain. We are working with a broad spectrum of organisations from government, industry and the conservation sector to take forward this ambitious programme of work. Since the publication of the Strategy in 2008 much progress has been made such as: the development of risk assessments for non- native species; the development of a monitoring and alert mechanism; provision of guidance and information for the public; and the management and research into of a range of non-native species.
This week Defra’s launched its Stop the Spread campaign, targeting recreational water users such as anglers and canoeists who have a vested interest in the protection of the natural environment. These groups can unwittingly assist the spread of harmful species from one water body to another by inadvertently carrying organisms, eggs and plant fragments on their equipment, shoes and clothing. Water users can help stop the spread of these species by following some simple biosecurity practices – checking, cleaning, drying such items when leaving the water.
Such measures will be crucial in the fight against the spread of Dikerogammarus villosus – more commonly known as the “killer shrimp”. This organism is renowned for its voracious appetite and kills on a massive scale whenever it invades a new territory only to leave its prey uneaten. This puts native species such as damselflies, water boatmen and even small fish at risk of becoming extinct, with potential for massive disruption to the ecology of habitats.
The shrimp can lay up to 200 eggs at a time and can live for up to half a month outside the water in damp conditions. Water users such as anglers and canoeists can unwittingly assist the spread of these species from one water body to another by inadvertently carrying individuals, eggs, larvae and viable plant fragments on their equipment, shoes, clothing and other damp places. Defra hopes to check this by raising awareness about the threat and working with the public to tackle the problem now before it becomes any more widespread.
At the same time Defra is working in partnership with the aquaculture industry and the Scottish and Welsh governments to promote the Be Plant Wise campaign – an initiative to raise awareness among gardeners, pond owners and retailers of the damage caused by invasive aquatic plants and to encourage the public to use and dispose of these plants correctly.
We continue to take measures to protect globally endangered species which are put at risk by non- European wildlife. A quarter of the world’s population of White-Headed Ducks resides in Spain where they are at risk from the interbreeding activity of the Ruddy Duck which originates from the United States. In order to ensure their survival as a distinct species, the UK is working alongside other partner countries to eradicate the European Ruddy Duck population by 2015.
In Europe only about 15% of non-native species harm our natural world and a similar amount cause economic damage. So a balanced approach is needed. Nevertheless it is important that government, industry, wildlife groups and the public work together to help stop the spread of invasive non-native species and understand the dangers of their release into the wild, and the Government remains committed to this.
ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |129|
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164