Alien invasion fear Scottish threat in rush to open new trade Wildlife put under routes post-Brexit
Leading wildlife and conservation groups call for Scottish Government to tighten up the nation’s biosecurity
THE rush to open new trade routes in the wake of Brexit and Covid-19 will leave Scotland’s delicately balanced ecosystem at severe risk from unwanted alien species, a new report has warned.
It is feared a flood of invasive non-native species with the potential to disrupt the nation’s insects, plants and wildlife could arrive in containers, packaging and on board vessels from new trade partners, with potentially devastating impacts for the environment – and even possible threats to human health.
Now leading wildlife and conservation groups are calling for the Scottish Government to tighten up the nation’s biosecurity and launch a new inspectorate tasked with trying to prevent even the tiniest of insects, unwanted plantlife and other creatures from entering the country.
The call is being made in a joint report from the RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust and WWF Scotland which includes 11 proposals for environmental action to restore nature, support climate change targets, and boost a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nature Recovery Plan includes the dire warning that current biosecurity measures are inadequate, with at least a dozen new and potentially damaging species entering Britain every year.
That, added to the potential effect of new trade routes following Brexit, the dash to reignite the economy in the aftermath of the pandemic and complications of climate change, leaves Scotland vulnerable to a potential invasion of unwanted and damaging alien species.
The group is urging the creation of a Scottish Invasion Non-Native Species Inspectorate within five years, and warns that failing to invest in preventative measures now will lead to high costs and labour-intensive work in the future to try to solve problems caused by the unwanted invaders.
The report adds: “The increasing globalisation of trade across the world, the emergence of new trading partners and policies following Brexit, including the potential establishment of free ports, and post-Covid pressures to accelerate economic recovery, together present a severe risk that the arrival of new species in Scotland will accelerate and further compound an already intensifying problem.
“Climate change is already known to be improving establishment conditions for new arrivals, as winters become warmer and wetter.
“Invasive non-native species (INNS) can spread quickly, preying on or out-competing native species for food and space, spreading disease or altering habitats.
“They choke waterways, undermine riverbanks, and some are a risk to human health, through toxins or pollen allergies.
“Once INNS fully establish, it is vastly more difficult and costly to eradicate them and reverse the damage.”
Invasive species cost Scotland around £300 million a year as a result of crop and forestry losses, pest and disease control measures, and impacts caused to a range of sectors including construction, aquaculture, recreation and transport.
The report says costs will intensify as climate change paves the way for unwanted species to become better established.
Scotland already has laws in place under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 designed to prevent unwanted species entering the country, while action to address the problem is co-ordinated through the GB Non-Native Species Programme Board, comprising representatives from Scotland, Wales and England.
However, the report suggests a need for deeper action – similar to New Zealand’s tough approach to biosecurity – with particular focus on addressing entry points for potential invasive species, such as airports, ports and ferries.
New Zealand, which has some of the world’s toughest biosecurity laws, requires visitors and freight entering the country to undergo intensive checks for unwanted organisms. Even camping or sports equipment, such as golf bags, are regarded as a potential risk.
The report adds that the inspectorate could underpin a “polluter pays” approach, raising the idea of making people who introduce non-native species to the country pay for repairing the damage they cause.
Head of habitats and species at RSPB Scotland, Dr Paul Walton, said: “As we look ahead it would make a great deal of sense to put a bit of investment into national biosecurity, and to employ professionals working with people in key pathway areas who can make that biosecurity effective.
“It’s important now because as we leave the EU we are being told we will be developing new trading relationships with other countries.
“That will bring new risks of bringing INNS to our country. Brexit gives us a new imperative to do something. We know it’s bad at the moment, but it’s going to be
New Brexit policies together present a severe risk that the arrival of new species in Scotland will accelerate and compound an already intensifying problem
worse in terms of the spread of existing species and arrival of new species.
“It is something we need to do in order to save cost in the future.”
He added that while biosecurity arrangements for protecting agriculture, forestry and horticulture from plant and animal invaders is good, there is less protection for the environment.
“There are 10 to 12 new species arriving on this island every year and we know that non-native species have already spread and are increasing their range. We need something for the environment, such as an inspectorate whose job it is to help people who work on key pathway areas like ports, airports and ferries. An inspectorate would improve our biosecurity and head off invasive species, save environmental damage, and it would be a preventative spend.
“It is hundreds of times cheaper to stop something arriving than trying to do something once it is established.”
Among the most damaging of invasive non-native species to have taken hold in Scotland are grey squirrels. Introduced from North America over a century ago, they compete with smaller native reds for food and resources, and carry squirrel pox virus which is fatal to their smaller counterparts.
Non-native plants such as Rhododendron ponticum host fungus-like pathogens which can threaten native trees while North American signal crayfish which escaped from commercial fisheries have decimated the native crayfish populations and fed on fish, frogs, plants and invertebrates have also caused environmental chaos.
More recently, concern has grown over the arrival of Asian hornets in Scotland. The wasp-like hornets, thought to have entered Europe inside a Chinese cargo, prey on honey bees and other pollinators. The RSPB has said the insect poses significant threat to the UK’s wildlife.
There are also concerns that Muntjac deer, which have gained a stronghold in southeast England, could arrive in Scotland. NatureScot has estimated they could cost almost £2 million to eradicate.
Dr Walton added: “Non-native species do not recognise political borders, they will just come. People think if one egg from one shrimp is on someone’s welly that’s it, it’s too late, but that’s not the case. The problem is when it becomes a stream of arrivals.
“If we can slow that down, there’s a real chance of reducing the propagule pressure, rather than giving up because it seems impossible.
“It’s about making the country really smart and responsive to something that is a major driver of biodiversity loss.”