‘Citizens’ army’ needed to tackle biosecurity risk from invasive non-native species, say MPs
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MPs are calling for a ‘citizens’ army’ to tackle the growing threat
from invasive species, estimated to cost Britain’s economy £1.8
billion a year. Trained volunteers would help identify and respond
to biosecurity outbreaks, modelled on a system developed in New
Zealand. The report found that urgent action is needed
to slow the rate of arrival of invasive species and prevent them
becoming established. It estimates that around 40 non-native
species will...Request free trial
MPs are calling for a ‘citizens’ army’ to tackle the growing threat
from invasive species, estimated to cost Britain’s economy £1.8
billion a year. Trained volunteers would help identify and respond
to biosecurity outbreaks, modelled on a system developed in New
Zealand.
The report found that urgent action is needed to slow the rate of arrival of invasive species and prevent them becoming established. It estimates that around 40 non-native species will become invasive within 20 years. MPs conclude that the Government has missed its legal targets on tackling invasive species and has failed to give it the same priority and funding as animal and plant health regimes. Current funding for biosecurity in Great Britain is estimated at £220 million a year however invasive species receive less than one per cent of that sum (£0.9m). The term Invasive non-native species (INNS) describes those species that have been directly moved as a result of human activity.
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Mary Creagh MP said: “INNS is one of the UK’s top five threats to the natural environment. If we’re to beat this, we need people power with an army of volunteers trained to spot and stop an invasive species before it becomes established. “We’re witnessing changes, from climate change, that put the future of our natural landscape at risk. Oak Processionary Moth caterpillars can strip an oak tree bare as well as posing a hazard to our own health. We face losing half of the UK’s native ash trees to ash dieback within a century costing £15 billion. New regulations to halt their progress are welcome but they are too little, too late. “Government funding to tackle invasive species is tiny and fails to match the scale of the threat.”
The report calls on the Government to:
Risks to human health: A small proportion of non-native species established in the UK are harmful to human health, including the spread of Lyme disease by non-native deer, giant hogweed causing skin rashes and blistering, and the Oak Processionary Moth caterpillars which can cause skin irritation and breathing difficulties. INNS that pose the greatest threat to human health are mosquitoes and ticks, with the UK starting to see the arrival of the Asian hornet which can cause anaphylactic shock. Future threats are predicted to come from the Asian tiger mosquito which carries chikungunya and dengue fever. MPs found the example of the Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) invasion highlighted the importance of swift biosecurity and trade restrictions. Government policy on tackling the OPM changed from eradication to containment, with legislation to restrict the import of larger trees introduced in 2018. However, despite further import restrictions in 2019, outbreaks of OPM continue. While new regulations were welcomed, they were too little too late. The Committee urged the Government to legislate for other risks as soon as they are identified. Future trade: Changing trade routes in the event of Brexit could allow more invasive species to arrive from South America and Asia with online trade considered a new and significant risk for introducing invasive species. The report finds that despite having regulations in place, an enforcement and penalty gap remains. It supports DEFRA's consideration of establishing a dedicated INNS inspectorate. Recommendations:
Epidemics and invasions: A significant increase in the numbers of invasive species across the globe is put down to a threefold increase in travel, and a rise in air and sea transport of goods. MPs echo concerns flagged by biosecurity minister Lord Gardiner that invasive species were arriving in the UK on ships at an alarming rate. Arrivals include species that attach to the hulls of ships, ‘hitchhikers’ within the ballast water of ships, horticulture escapes, contaminants of ornamental plants, or ‘stowaways’ on fishing equipment. Major invaders that have established in the UK over the past decade include the killer shrimp in Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, and the quagga mussel in Rosebery Reservoir, London, threatening local wildlife. The spread of these species to other reservoirs, sometimes separated by long distances, is attributed to water sports events or angling. The report finds the need for swift biosecurity and trade restrictions highlighted by:
Biosecurity: legislation ‘too little, too late’ Biosecurity and closing pathways are identified as the first lines of defence to prevent the introduction of INNS. Prevention is viewed as the only real mechanism of reducing their impact in the marine environment due to the cost and difficulty of removal. Ensuring vessels arriving or leaving UK waters have stringent hull cleaning and all ships having a ballast water management plan would offer increased protection. However, despite EAC’s predecessor Committee recommending in 2014 that the Government ratify the Ballast Water Management Convention and 80 other countries implementing it, ministers have delayed the UK’s implementation to 2020. Given the significant pathway for the introduction of invasive species and invasive plant pathogens offered by the import of trees and plants, MPs were disappointed at the lack of engagement from the horticultural trade sector during the inquiry, with limited evidence given on what measures the industry is putting in place to prevent outbreaks. The UK Overseas Territories are home to 90 per cent of the UK’s biodiversity and the introduction of invasive species has been recognised as the biggest threat to island biodiversity and caused numerous extinctions. The report calls for the Government to support each Overseas Territory to have up to date biosecurity legislation and adequate powers of enforcement by the end of 2020. Recommendations:
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