Invasive Non-Native Species
For more information about invasive species and the Lancashire Invasive Species Project, please click here
Invasive species are one of the biggest threats facing the UK environment after climate change. Non-native species may become invasive as a result of certain characteristics, e.g.
- A lack of natural predators or disease
- Aggressive growth and/or prolific reproduction
- Ability to adapt to a variety of habitats
- Difficulty of control once established
Native wildlife is not adapted to living with invasive species and many plants and animals struggle to survive under such competition. Invasive species can also cause a degradation of the physical environment, either through direct effects or by their influence on native species. There are several ways in which invasive species may cause harm, such as predation, competition, spreading disease and habitat modification.
The Ribble catchment has several confirmed invasive species:
Non-native invasive species – What can you do?
Don’t introduce any! Prevention is always the best solution. There are many invasive species already in Britain that aren’t yet present or established in the Ribble. It is also important not to add to the the population of invasive species already present. Many invasive aquatic plants are sold at garden centres and escape from garden ponds and compost heaps into the wild. Check what is growing in your pond and be careful to dispose of invasive plants safely. The Be Plant Wise campaign has more information about invasive aquatic plants. If you are an angler or a boat user, it is important to Check-Clean-Dry your equipment when moving between water bodies.
It is important not to release any crayfish into the wild. Pet crayfish can become invasive if released into water bodies and may carry crayfish plague which will decimate the endangered white clawed crayfish. You must have an Environment Agency licence to trap wild crayfish and it is illegal to release signal crayfish if caught. For more information about non native crayfish, please click here.
There are many opportunities to volunteer with the Ribble Rivers Trust, including the control of invasive species: volunteer
You can also support the trust by becoming a member: membership