SNH project to tackle species including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and American mink boosted by National Lottery Funding

A partnership project to encourage communities to tackle invasive non-native species such as Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and American mink in their local area has received a major financial boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Scottish Natural Heritage has received a grant of £1.59 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative project, it was announced today. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the partnership project aims to establish community-based approaches to deal with non-native species in northern Scotland, working with 10 Fisheries Trusts/District Salmon Fisheries Boards and Aberdeen University. Invasive non-native species cost the Scottish economy at least £250 million each year.

To combat the impacts of invasive non-native species, the project team will work with communities to establish local management of specific priority species such as giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed and American mink.  The target species will be managed in selected locations within a 29,500 km² area of northern Scotland.  The project will focus on species associated with lochs and rivers, and aims to establish a volunteer network which will help to look after local freshwater biodiversity after the project has been completed.  Collaboration with charity Apex Scotland will provide a range of volunteering opportunities for offenders, ex-offenders and those recovering from addiction.  The project has also made links with the John Muir Trust to enable volunteers to work towards their John Muir Award through taking part in project activities.

Networks of rivers, burns, lochs and pools support much of northern Scotland’s biodiversity. This includes globally-endangered species, such as freshwater pearl mussel, whose lifecycle is inextricably linked and dependent on that of the iconic and economically important salmon and trout. These places also support other well-known species of conservation importance such as otter and water vole.  However, invasive non-native species in Scotland’s freshwater habitats are having a significant impact on biodiversity.  For example, predation from American mink is recognised as a principal factor in the crash of the water vole population in Scotland, the decline of which was one of the most serious of any British mammal during the 20^th century.  Both plant and animal invasive non-native species often out-compete native flora and fauna, leading to a decline in the populations of native species.

Mike Cantlay, Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “The aim of this exciting and ambitious project is to raise awareness and understanding of invasive non-native species, biosecurity measures and the importance and sensitivity of our freshwater environment. Scotland’s fresh waters constitute more than 90% of the total volume of fresh waters in the United Kingdom and support a range of economic activities as well as ecosystem services such as drinking water, electricity generation and flood protection.

“This project will support us in working with local communities and organisations to help care for this precious resource. We’d like to thank National Lottery players for the funding which will help us to continue our work to create better places for people and nature across the whole of Scotland.”

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “This funding is an opportunity to work with communities and get volunteers involved in controlling invasive non-native species and limit their impact on local areas.

“This is an important part of our work to enhance biodiversity and protect ecosystems across Scotland.”

Drew Bennellick, HLF Head of Landscape & Natural Heritage, said: “This project is all about empowering local communities to help save Scotland’s treasured native habitats and species. Our natural heritage, vital to our survival, is under threat like never before.  Invasive non-native species pose one of the greatest threats to the our biodiversity and thanks to National Lottery players this project can really make a difference by both raising awareness of the issue and teaching people how to take direct action to help  our native species thrive,”

The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative is a priority project in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy’s route map to 2020. The route map sets out the major steps needed to improve the state of nature in Scotland and halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020. It highlights the spread of invasive species as one of the key pressures on biodiversity.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Contact SNH Media on snhmedia@snh.gov.uk or  01463 725 022.  Please credit pictures to Scottish Natural Heritage.