Invasive Species | Verde - Complete Environmental Solutions

EU asks Ireland to explain lack of plan to tackle invasive species

EU asks Ireland to explain lack of plan to tackle invasive species Ireland has been asked by the European Commission to explain why it has not established a plan to tackle invasive species getting into the ecosystem, despite regulations being laid down seven years ago. Far from being the only offender in the EU, Ireland was among 18 member states cited by the Commission for failing to implement ...
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City Council housing halted by highly-invasive Japanese knotweed

City Council housing halted by highly-invasive Japanese knotweed A site earmarked for social housing has been colonised by a ground-devouring weed. Development of houses on the Council-owned land in Doughiska cannot proceed until an infestation of Japanese Knotweed is treated. A report by Tobin Consulting Engineers found that the 1.03-hectare site, between Doughiska Road and Bóthar ...
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Invasions of alien bird species rising at an alarming rate

The EU is committed to tackling the threat of invasive alien species (those introduced outside their natural past or present distribution, that become problematic species). As part of this commitment, EU horizon scanning in 2016 identified 95 new or emerging species for which there was high or very high priority for risk assessment. The list was created to enable early preventative actions to be ...
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Alien species and the EU Water Framework Directive: a comparative assessment of European approaches

Although the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) does not refer explicitly to alien species (AS), it is clear that invasive AS (IAS) are considered a pressure on WFD water bodies. This article discusses the results of a questionnaire sent to all EU Member States, demonstrating considerable variability in the way that AS data are used in implementing the WFD. Responses were received from 18 co...
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Project aims to control spread of Giant Hogweed on River Loobagh

Limerick City and County Councils have embarked on a three year project to control the spread of Giant Hogweed on the River Loobagh near Kilmallock. The plant, which can grow up to five metres in height, is one of the most unwanted invasive species in Ireland. Introduced into Ireland and Britain in the 19th century as a Victorian Garden curiosity, it "escaped" into the wild firstly in the Dublin...
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Invasive Species – False Widow Spider

Researchers at NUI Galway have published research which shows that the False Widow spider is taking over Ireland and is an invasive species with a detrimental effect on native species. In Ireland, False Widow spiders live close to buildings and houses inhabited by people. They only survive in cities and not in rural areas. Dublin, Cork and Wexford have the highest number of False Widows to date....
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First Irish Population of non-indigenous Crayfish Species found

The National Park & Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed that a population of a non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS) has been found for the first time in the wild in Ireland. There has always been a concern that a NICS may become established in Ireland and this has now been confirmed by the discovery of a population of an Australian Crayfish, the Yabby, Cherax destructor. The NPWS are...
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Crayfish Plague Outbreaks – Update from Biodiversity Ireland

The following is a list of the rivers where outbreaks of Crayfish Plague have been confirmed by diagnostic tests. The map accompanying this information note shows the affected catchments in red and the locations of mortalities or positive tests using environmental-DNA indicated by the star symbol. Please note the map only shows affected sites with proven cases of Crayfish plague. The disease...
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Warning issued over ‘severe and increasing’ threat to native crayfish species

A warning has been re-issued to all water users in Ireland by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), along with the Marine Institute about the “severe and increasing” threat to the native crayfish species. The warning comes after the confirmation this spring of crayfish plague on the River Maigue, upstream of Adare, Co Limerick. Irel...
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Council refuses Ballyhaunis Japanese Knotweed treatment facility

Planning permission for a facility to treat the Japanese Knotweed plant in Ballyhaunis has been refused over concerns it could not guarantee that the invasive plant would not spread from the site. Co Kerry-based company Pacs Ltd, trading as the Japanese Knotweed Company, applied for planning permission for a facility to treat soil and stone waste containing Japanese Knotweed at a disused quarry...
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