It is all very well reminding people of the threat but this begs the questions of what Government is doing. A point that has not been missed by the NGO responses from Wildlife Link members – see below.
Invasive species week
Defra: The second annual Invasive Species Week starts on 29 February and will run until 6 March.
Gardeners, birdwatchers, sportspeople and recreational anglers are being called on to help protect the UK from the threat of invasive non-native species, Minister for Biosecurity Lord Gardiner announced today as he launched Invasive Species Week. INNS cost the British economy £1.7 billion a year. To help stop INNS arriving and spreading, Defra and the GB Non-native Species Secretariat are holding a special week to raise awareness of the issue. It will bring together organisations from across Britain who can help stop INNS damaging our landscapes and harming our native wildlife. While the majority of animals and plants introduced to Britain are harmless, around 10-15% become ‘invasive’.
NGO observations – many of which involve freshwater aquatic species
INNS week: why it makes sense to “check, clean and dry”
Prevent, eradicate and control: A three-tiered approach to tackling INNS
Tackling invasive plants crowding out native species in the New Forest –