THE EU Commission is conducting a survey on public attitudes to invasive species that threaten biodiversity, be they fish, animal, shellfish or plant, in an effort to agree Europe-wide measures for their control.
Given the failure of successive Irish governments to adequately support this general area, publication of an EU framework directive by the end of this year would be welcome.
Invasive foreign species are just part of the problem. We need to get our act together to control home-grown noxious weeds, such as ragwort, thistle and dock. These weeds can poison animals and ruin land if they are not kept in check. But they have been allowed to flourish. And while Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan goes through the motions and reminds farmers and local authorities once a year of their responsibility to prevent their spread, it has no obvious effect. Prosecutions for breaches of the Noxious Weeds Act are as rare as hens' teeth. And the withholding of EU farm payments from serious offenders appears to be an empty threat.
The situation may, however, be about to change. The National Roads Authority has commissioned a study on the management of non-native invasive species along major routes. And the National Parks and Wildlife Service is preparing a new national biodiversity plan. Some 400 non-native invasive species have been identified on this island. And while some pose no immediate threat, others are doing real damage. In freshwater, zebra mussels, dace and chub, along with pondweeds, pose serious problems. The main plant menaces are giant hogweed, which can damage humans, gunnera and Japanese knotweed. And wild ferrets, brown rats and grey squirrels threaten our native wildlife.
There is broad recognition of what needs to be done, but a reluctance to take the necessary steps. The trapping and killing of grey squirrels could become an emotive public issue. Penalising landholders for allowing invasive weeds to flourish would be unlikely to garner votes. And the expense of dealing with suffocating pondweed, zebra mussels and unwanted fish species might rival the cost of sewage and slurry treatments. Because of this, the survey of public attitudes now being undertaken by the EU Commission is important. In the past, we failed to provide sufficient protection for the environment. The Government was hauled before the European Court for its failure to protect water quality; for inadequate waste disposal systems and for general damage to the environment. Beneficial change flowed from Brussels. We need more such encouragement.