European Commission says growing species problem must be halted

Alien invasion: warning of threat to indigenous plants and animals
Photograph: The Irish Times

IRELAND IS being invaded by alien plants and animals which are threatening indigenous species and damaging the environment, the economy and "human interests", the European Commission has warned.

The threat of invasive alien species had been identified as a growing, Europe-wide problem and needs to be stopped, according to the commission.

"A substantial pool of alien species is known to be already present in Europe. Many of them have escaped from gardens or aquariums . . . or from captivity," a commission document states.

Some of these species had been deliberately introduced, but others were "hitchhikers" - contaminant organisms that had insinuated themselves into Europe in the ballast water of ships or had hitched a lift with travellers moving from country to country, the commission said.

Ireland had been particularly vulnerable to the invasion of rhododendrons, Japanese knotweeds and hogweeds which were working to eliminate local flora. Pond weeds were also a growing threat.

"In the last decade Lough Corrib has been invaded by Lagarosiphon, a weed native to southern Africa that suffocates the lake's ecosystem by creating a dense canopy impervious to light," said the commission.

This takeover by alien species was destroying the diversity of Irish species, already under threat from climate change and human destruction.

In terms of the attacks on the biodiversity of animal species, Ireland has a particular problem with non-native grey squirrels, which through their superior size and ability to eat unripe acorns were steadily eliminating native red squirrels.

Until now Europe has been weak and largely unprotected against the alien attackers, European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

"We know that invasive species are one of the major threats to biodiversity, and that economies often suffer as a result, but we lack a harmonised system for tackling the problem and assessing its impact."

The commission is conducting a Europe-wide survey to assess public attitudes to the aliens and the control measures that may be used against them. The survey is available for completion through the commission's website until May 5th.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times