Dealing with invasive non-native species - new EAC report

Updated 16 April

The Environmental Audit Committee (a UK Commons Select Committee) report on invasive non-native species was published this morning and has been widely reported within the UK media including BBC Online, the Guardian and the Daily Mail.

In response to publication Dr Helen Roy of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said, "It is critical that we increase our understanding of the threat to biodiversity posed by invasive non-native species. People can play a major part through surveillance by reporting sightings of concern to the GB Non-Native Species Information Portal."

Current species alerts include Asian hornet, Killer shrimps and Quagga mussel. More information on the GB Non-Native Species Information Portal hosted by the Non-Native Species Secretariat.

Professor James Bullock of CEH leads an EU wide project on on invasive ragweed. Common ragweed is an alien species which is highly invasive across Europe and has harmful impacts on a range of sectors, especially human health and agriculture. A recent report on the project can be downloaded here (large >20mb pdf).

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Original post

Tomorrow morning, Wednesday 16 April, the Environmental Audit Committee (a UK Commons Select Committee) will publish a report on invasive non-native species. The report concludes an inquiry by the Committee that examines the government's policy on invasive species and the implications of the European Commission's draft EU Directive on "the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species".

Dr Helen Roy from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) gave oral evidence to the committee on 22 January 2014. Dr Roy's research covers the dynamics of invasive non-native species and their effects on native biodiversity. She chairs the COST Action ALIEN Challenge project which involves 27 countries in work to ensure a fair exchange of high quality and reliable data and information on invasive non-native species. She also leads a project to produce a comprehensive information portal on non-native species in Great Britain and manages updates to the DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) database. Dr Roy has previously blogged on invasive species research for us (Invasive Alien Species: From Data to Decisions) and Planet Earth Online (Aliens descend on Britain).

The Report will be available on the Committee’s website from 00.01 am approximately, on Wednesday 16 April 2014.

Dikerogammarus villosus, known as the 'killer shrimp', is an invasive non-native
species that can kill a range of native species and significantly alter ecosystems.
Photo: Michal Grabowski

Further information

COST Action ALIEN Challenge project

Non-Native Species Information Portal

DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) database

CEH gives evidence to Commons water quality inquiry

Two of our CEH colleagues, Professor Andrew Johnson and Mr Neil Runnalls, gave evidence to Parliament this week, as the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee continued its new inquiry into water quality.

You can view their evidence below (from approximately 42m 25s):



Written evidence has already been submitted to the inquiry which was launched in December 2012 after the European Commission proposed a list of chemicals whose release to the environment should be controlled by wastewater treatment. In the oral evidence from science and industry, the committee heard that some of the chemicals are widely used in pharmaceutical products but their toxicity or otherwise to the environment is not yet fully understood. Furthermore the cost of their removal from wastewater has been estimated at  more than £27 billion over 20 years, although such long-term investment could prove beneficial in managing future pollutant threats. Concern was also raised at the UK's position, particularly in England, in relation to the amount of water available to dilute waste.

CEH has extensive experience in water quality monitoring and in modelling chronic and extreme threats to the environment. Professor Johnson's research at CEH focuses on threats to the aquatic environment, such as posed by chemicals including endocrine disrupting substances, as well as nanoparticles and viruses. Neil Runnalls is Programme Manager of the NERC Water Security Knowledge Exchange Programme and a CEH Business Development Manager. He attended the session on behalf of Research Councils UK.

Others giving evidence included Thames Water, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the Blueprint for Water Coalition, the Marine Conservation Society and Plymouth University.

You can view the full Terms of Reference of the water quality inquiry here. The Science and Technology Committee (Commons), which is chaired by Andrew Miller MP, is due to hear more evidence next month.

Additional information

Staff page of Professor Andrew Johnson, CEH

Science and Technology Committee (Commons)


Posted by Paulette Burns