Invasive species are destroying our countryside - it is time for the government to act

Britain has been overrun by dozens of non-native, invasive species. In many cases free from natural predators, they have rapidly increased in numbers, upsetting Britain’s delicate ecosystem. 

Elliott Malik | Nature Programme Officer

The damage done by invasive species is considerable.  Native red squirrels now cling to existence in the Scottish Highlands and small surrounding islands, forced out by the bigger, more dominant North American greys. Chinese muntjac deer populations have exploded, eating many of the saplings which could have produced a new generation of forest. Japanese knotweed is throttling our rivers and land, killing plant and animal life alike. 

There is a reason why the United Nations believes invasive species are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. And if the government continues to ignore these issues, the wildlife which Britain has enjoyed for generations will be imperilled.

Invasive species also have a direct impact on economic growth, costing the economy approximately £1.84bn in damage each year.  This includes tens of millions of pounds spent on compensation for damage caused by invasive deer and grey squirrels.

This damage is varied and widespread. Deer eat saplings and crops, trample plantlife before it can grow, and are involved in tens of thousands of collisions with British motor vehicles each year. Grey squirrels outcompete reds, eat bird eggs, harm trees by stripping their bark, and eat crops (particularly fruit in orchards).

However, despite the impact on both our economy and nature, the government spends a meagre £25 million annually to try and actually tackle the problem.

A large reason for this lack of action is the government is worried about being seen declaring war on seemingly innocent creatures. But this is not as controversial a subject as people might think. In fact, the majority of British people agree that we must tackle invasive species, with 92% of a recent Times survey poll saying we should cull grey squirrels to save reds. So there is no need for politicians to be squeamish about dealing with this problem. Invasives are a problem and the majority of the public can see this.

That being said, previous Conservative governments did take some action. Alongside publishing the Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy, grey squirrel action plan, and deer management strategy. Equally, some money was made available to land managers to control invasive deer, grey squirrels, and rhododendrons from their land.

In theory, these would have empowered communities, landowners, and institutions to clamp down on invasive species. However, the strategies were not backed by the amount of money needed to deliver tangible results.

The Labour government has done even less. Nothing new has been done to tackle invasive species since coming to power. Notably, the government has neither taken any action on deer culling nor committed to publishing the long-awaited update to the squirrel management strategy. This is not due to a general lack of attention. MPs and peers have repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament. Everything is ready for the government to take real action. Yet the government has done decidedly little.

We cannot keep sitting by whilst invasives harm our economy and green and pleasant land. We know what the most dangerous non-native invasive species are in the UK, thanks to the last Conservative government publishing a hit list of the 30 most dangerous non-native invasive animal species.

Rather than updating strategies and making more press releases, we need to put the money where our mouth is and take real action.

Firstly, we need to provide proper funding so communities, local interest groups, and landowners can muster the manpower and equipment necessary to tackle invasives. This will make it easier for them to hunt animals, remove plants, and harrow the root-laden soil.

We can also bring back native predators and let them tackle invasive animals themselves. This has already been proven in Ireland, with the spread of pine martens directly leading to the grey squirrel population decreasing. Though at a smaller scale, pine marten reintroductions in Great Britain are making an impact, with grey squirrels comprising 14% of the pine martens’ diet in the Forest of Dean.

There is, of course, another benefit to tackling certain invasives: many are a source of nutritious food. Venison is increasingly popular in restaurants and food banks, for example. Encouraging local authorities to source venison for school meals will provide schools with an excellent supply of high-protein, truly free range produce which could also educate children on the problems caused by invasives.

There is still time to restore the natural world which our forefathers once enjoyed. But we must act quickly.

Let us act with certainty. Eliminate the invasives. Restore our native wildlife.

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