‘Watersports enthusiasts play a key role in our battle against these threats’ Slipper limpet, leathery sea squirt, wireweed and wakame – these are just some of the invasive non-native species from across the globe, which unwittingly find their way into British waters, damaging local wildlife and threatening biodiversity.
As part of this year’s Invasive Species Week, launched in 2015, the government’s biosecurity minister Lord Gardiner is urging sailors to follow ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ guidance to ensure they don’t contribute to the spread. The hashtag #GetINNSvolved is also being used by environmentalists, industry professionals, racers and leisure cruisers, to get the message out there.
What are they? Invasive species are classified as any kind of living organism – an amphibian, plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria or even an organism’s seeds or…
