Invasive species in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies
Invasive non-native species are a major cause of biodiversity
loss globally; there impacts are often most severe on the island
environments typical of our Overseas Territories (Cheesman et
al 2003). Species on such islands are often vulnerable to the
impacts of non-native species because of their previous isolation
from predators, diseases or competitors. Indeed, the majority (72%)
of global extinctions since 1500 have occurred on islands and, for
example, 67% of threatened birds on oceanic islands are threatened
by invasive alien species compared to only 8% on continents
(Baillie et al 2004). Invasive species are also thought to
be responsible for the extinction of at least 65 bird species, more
than any other known factor (Baillie et al 2004).
The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies of the United
Kingdom are comprised mostly of island environments (Procter and
Fleming 1999) and are notable for their numbers of endemic and
globally threatened species (more than occur in metropolitan UK).
Problems with invasive non-native species are apparent in many of
the Territories. There are various organisations on island and in
UK who are working to try to resolve the problems that non-native
species are causing in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies.
It was recognised that this was very much a first step, and
the review provided a foundation resource that needed to be built
upon. In June 2007, JNCC hosted a
workshop to
bring together various organisations working on invasives in the
OTs to share information and ideas, and to build upon the work done
for the review.
We will keep you informed of further work as it happens.