Costly fight against the invaders
May 29 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal
BATTLING against invasive foreigners is costing conservation bodies in the North East tens of thousands of pounds.
The fight to control non-native invading species of animals and plants is also taking up valuable time and effort for organisations like the region’s wildlife trusts which could be better spent on other vital work.
The problem facing the North East was the backdrop yesterday to the launch by Defra of the first co-ordinated plan to reduce the threat to Britain’s native biodiversity from invasive non-native species. Invasive species can have a serious impact on native wildlife and economic interests, and controlling their spread is key to conserving native wildlife.
A study in 2005 showed there were 2,721 non-native species in England of which 1,798 are plants.
“Invasive species are a significant issue for us and we are fighting a rearguard action in the North East. They can put native plants and animals at risk of extinction – the red squirrel and the water vole are examples in the North East,” said Durham Wildlife Trust director Jim Cokill. “There are only a few very isolated populations of red squirrels left in County Durham. To all intents and purposes grey squirrels have now replaced the reds in the county.”
American mink are thought to be one of the factors behind the population crash of the water vole, which represent easy prey. Numbers of water vole in County Durham fell by 92% from 1989 to 1998.
But the numbers of mink in the region may be falling or at least remaining static due to the increase in the number of otters, which drive out the American invader from waterways. “Invasive species are costing us money and we have to put in a lot of effort to clear woodlands of, say, invasive plants like Himalayan balsam when we could be doing other work,” said Mr Cokill.
Steve Lowe, head of conservation at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “It is a constant battle for us against invasive species when we would be better off spending the time and money on conservation work instead of getting rid of these invaders. While we are fighting against invasive species which are already here, we are also on the alert for new ones. A major issue in the North East is trying to find the resources to do all this.”
