Defra Launches Invasive Species Strategy
Daily Telegraph, 25rh May 2008
The spread of these non indigenous species is considered the second biggest threat to British wildlife - after habitat loss - and costs the economy between £2 and £6 billion a year.
Iconic native plants and animals, such as bluebells, red squirrels and water voles, are all under threat.
The problem is expected to get worse as warmer temperatures encourage the migration of these hostile species, which include floating pennywort, American mink and Chinese mitten crab.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries are all affected by the spread of such plants and animals, the Government said.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today launched its strategy to combat the problem, raising awareness of the offending plants and animals and plans to develop a "rapid response" to control the invasive species.
The scheme, which will affect England, Scotland and Wales, includes an online directory of where the foreign plants and animals can be found and how they spread.
Environment Minister Jeff Rooker said: "Non-native species that are invasive can have a serious impact on native wildlife and are estimated to cost the British economy at least £2 billion a year.
"And with climate change the threat becomes greater. For the first time we now have a co-ordinated plan to tackle this."
There are more than 3,000 foreign species flourishing in the wild in Britain and 66 per cent are plants. Although not all are invasive, those that are tend to colonise and dominate an area.
Hottentot Fig, originally from South Africa, grows up to a metre a year and one plant can spread to a 50 metre area if not controlled.
It chokes other native plants and threatens coastal habitats and is considered a particular problem on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall.
Japanese knotweed grows rapidly, dominating other plants and also causes damage to properties, growing through tarmac and floors.
The cost of removing the weed from Britain has been estimated by the plant charity Plantlife to be £1.56 billion so far.
Indigenous water voles have declined by 90 per cent since 1990 because of a combination of habitat loss and the spread of American mink which preys on them, while British bluebells are under threat because they cross-breed with Spanish bluebells.
The introduction of the grey squirrel in the 19th century is one of the best known examples of invasion by a foreign species, its ability to carry the squirrelpox virus which is lethal to red squirrels.
The native squirrel is now restricted to Scotland, Cumbria, Northumbria, the Isle of Wight and the islands of Poole Harbour.
White-clawed crayfish have suffered since the North American signal crayfish was introduced for commercial farming in the 1970s.
The foreign species carries crayfish plague which is deadly for the indigenous species and competes for habitat and food. White-clawed crayfish are now listed as globally threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Dr Debbie Pain, director of conservation at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust where the Defra scheme was launched, said her organisation had struggled to control the American Azolla fern.
"Sadly we face a constant battle as species encroach from neighbouring waterways. Much of the problem is the lack of awareness of the damage some species can do."
Eladio Fernandez-Galiano, head of the Biological Diversity Unit at the Council of Europe added: "Invasive alien species is one of the rising threats for biological diversity.
"In these times of climate change, more and more species will arrive and spread in our native ecosystems changing their character and singularity."
By Caroline Gammell
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