DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (408/07) issued by
The Government News Network on 8 November 2007
Defra and the
Welsh Assembly Government today launched a joint consultation to
strengthen protection given to the UK's native wildlife.
Non-native species that become invasive are considered the second
greatest threat to wildlife worldwide after habitat destruction.
Their impacts can be far reaching - they have adverse impacts on
native wildlife by predation, competition and spread of disease.
They can threaten economic interests such as agriculture,
forestry, fisheries and development. Controlling the release of
invasive non-native species into the wild is a key element of
conserving our native wildlife.
The consultation contains proposals for updating the list of
non-native birds, fish, animals and plants under schedule 9 of the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Many of these species are
already established in the wild, but further releases are allowed
only under licence.
A total of 74 species are proposed for addition, including
Rosy-Faced Lovebird, Grass Carp, Water Fern and Virginia Creeper.
Seven animal species are proposed for removal, including the
Mongolian Gerbil and the Himalayan Porcupine, which are no longer
present in the wild.
The consultation also looks at banning the sale of certain
invasive non-native species under section 14ZA of the Act. These
species are considered to be strongly invasive and there is a real
risk of escape and spread into the wild as a result of their
presence and availability through trade.
These species include the American Bullfrog, a number of Crayfish
species, Floating Pennywort and the Water Hyacinth.
A study in 2005 showed that there are 2,721 non-native species in
England, of which 1,798 (66%) are plants.
Joan Ruddock, Minister for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said:
"Invasive non-native species pose a very serious threat to
our native plants, animals and the local environments they live
in, costing the British economy around £2billion per year. The
threat is greater than ever with climate change. It is vital that
we do all we can to prevent these species from establishing in the wild.
"The power to ban the sale of invasive non-native species
has not been used before. Many involved in trading non-native
species have already taken the positive decision to stop selling
those that are potentially invasive, and actively promote good
practice in their industry and amongst their customers. The ban on
sale is another tool to be used in a measured way to target a
limited number of species which are especially invasive."
The Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Environment,
Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson said:
"Controlling the release of invasive non-native species into
the wild is key to conserving our native flora and fauna and
contributes towards our goal of halting the loss of biodiversity
by 2010. It is important that we have the appropriate systems in
place to prevent these species establishing in the wild, and we
must do all we can to ensure that the wider environment is capable
of supporting our native habitats and species biodiversity."
The consultation will run until 31 January 2008. A copy of the
consultation, and more detail on the species can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/wca-schedule9/index.htm
Notes for editors
1. Examples of Costs of Non-Native Species:
* There are very
large costs involved with trying to remove non-native species, for
example the costs of trying to eradicate Rhododendron from
Snowdonia National Park have been in the region of £45m (source
Plantlife). If nothing is done to ameliorate the situation the
costs are likely to increase and continue to increase in the
future as more and more problem species become established and spread.
* Japanese Knotweed is a plant species that can cause serious
damage to property and costs of eradication from GB has been
estimated at £1.56bn (source Plantlife). Aquatic and semi-aquatic
non-native plants can cause flooding by eroding banks and blocking
water courses. If no mitigation measures are taken the incidence
of flooding will increase, causing damage to property, increasing
insurance costs and claims, and possibly even affecting the
property market.
* Non-native plant species compete with native flora by very
rapid growth which reduces the amount of sunlight available to
other species. For example, rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)
shades out native plants and causes particular problems in the
internationally important oak and hazel woodlands of the west coast.
* Besides significant ecological impacts, non-native species can
also cause serious economic effects. For example, non-native
crayfish impact on salmon fisheries by predation on salmon eggs
and fry.
2. Schedule 9: The main piece of legislation covering non-native
species is in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
Section 14 prohibits the introduction into the wild of any species
of animal (including birds, reptiles, fish, invertebrates etc.)
that is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to
Great Britain in a wild state, or any species of animal or plant
listed on schedule 9. Most non-native species listed on schedule 9
are already established in the wild, but continue to pose a
conservation threat to native biodiversity and habitats, such that
further releases should be regulated. The Joint Nature
Conservation Committee (JNCC) has recommended specific species for
addition or removal from Schedule 9, which we are now consulting on.
3. Ban on Sale Order: Section 14ZA of the 1981 Act introduces a
new offence of selling, offering or exposing for sale, or having
in one's possession or transporting for the purpose of sale,
certain animals or plants, or anything from which such an animal
or plant can be reproduced or propagated, such as eggs or seeds.
An Order may be made prohibiting the sale of any live animal or
plant within the scope of section 14 of the Act. Natural England
and the Countryside Council for Wales have recommended specific
species for inclusion in a ban on sale Order. Key stakeholders
have been pre-consulted on this list.
4. It will be particularly important to understand the potential
impact that any ban on sale will have on businesses which trade in
the proposed species because it will also be necessary to give
consideration to relevant international trade provisions. Those
aspects will be taken forward in close consultation with the
Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
5. Responses to the consultation on non-native species carried
out in 2003/04 generally supported a broad prohibition as
currently found under section 14, and the retention of a schedule
identifying those established non-native species that should be
subject to continued control. However, it was recognised that the
current schedule is out of date and should be subject to an early review.
6. The consultation covers England and Wales. Consultations on
proposals to update schedule 9 and to prohibit sale of certain
non-native species took place in Scotland earlier this year.
7. Subject to the outcome of the consultation exercise, it is
currently proposed that any changes to Schedule 9 would take
effect from 1 April 2008. An Order prohibiting sale of certain
species may take longer depending on the international aspects of
trade controls.
8. Earlier this year the Government consulted on the draft
Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/07_Public_Consultations.cfm.
The Strategy will be published next year. For more information go
to: http://www.nonnativespecies.org
9. Further information on invasive non-native issues can be found
at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/non-native/index.htm
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