The South West this week hosted its first forum to highlight the damage invasive non native species (INNS) can have on the environment.

Around 100 people from a range of organisations attended the forum at Roadford Lake. The event was hosted by South West Water in partnership with the GB Non Native Species Secretariat, the Environment Agency, and Devon and Cornwall Knotweed Forums, who have now expanded.

INNS include terrestrial, freshwater and marine plants and animals. Organisms such as Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, and zebra mussels can cause wide-ranging damage, from increasing erosion and sedimentation to escalating flood risks and reducing property prices. They can reproduce quickly, displacing existing habitats of plants and animals and creating their own monocultures, which can prove difficult and costly to remove.

Kate Hills of South West Water said: ’A key aim of the forum is to increase awareness and help people recognise INNS and encourage them to report them, so that we can control them and prevent problems from developing.  

’This is a huge issue that requires efficient partnership working if we are to tackle it effectively.’

For more information please visit www.nonnativespecies.org