Japanese Knotweed, Rabbits, Deer, Rats: Invasive Species that Cost UK 5 Billion Dollars Yearly

Around 5 billion dollars are spent each year in the UK on damages and eradication efforts related to invasive species, such as the Japanese knotweed, rabbits, deer, and rats.

$5B for Invasive Species in the UK

Fighting invasive non-native species costs the UK economy over £4 billion (equal to $5 billion), up from £1.7 billion in 2010, according to studies, and includes everything from Japanese knotweed to a type of fungus that kills ash trees.

In the UK, there are roughly 2,000 invasive non-native species (Inns), and 12 to 15 new ones proliferate year, contributing to cost increases along with inflation.

According to a study financed by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, the cost of ash dieback, the fungus that kills ash trees and has caused the most economic harm over the past ten years, is currently around £883.5 million per year.

It originated in Asia and causes significant clean-up expenses close to highways, railroads, structures, and other publicly accessible terrain.

The next most expensive plant is Japanese knotweed, which costs around £246.5 million and colonizes roadsides, riverbanks, and vacant ground.

It was first imported in the middle of the 19th century as an ornamental garden plant.

According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' most recent advice, while less-sturdy structures with shallow foundations, like conservatories, garages, or boundary walls, are at risk of being compromised, there is little to no risk of structural damage to durable buildings with substantial foundations, like homes.

A study conducted by the international organization CABI noted that the annual predicted costs for inns in 2021 were $3 billion for England, £499 million for Scotland, $343 million for Wales, and $150 million for Northern Ireland, according to Phy Org.

Pets vs Pests

The species includes rabbits, which the Romans brought to Britain some 2,000 years ago and which are valued as pets but despised as pests.

Due to overgrazing and pasture quality issues caused by burrowing, rabbits are thought to be costing the economy £170 million annually.

Other pricey animals included non-native deer (£62m), cockroaches (£69m), and rats and mice (£84m).

The cost of Inns to forests has climbed eightfold since the last report in 2010 and is currently projected to be £123 million, while they impact the UK economy for over £1.1 billion in the largest affected industry, agriculture.

According to the scientists, their effects on infrastructure, travel, and recreation were £136 million and £270 million, respectively.

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The study, which was co-authored by Dr. Richard Shaw of CABI and was published in the journal Biological Invasions, illustrated the significant costs of inns to the UK economy.

These statistics hardly reflect the specific management initiatives of the Inn.

They do, however, emphasized the importance of continuing with prevention and early diagnosis, then eradicating the highest-risk species before establishment.

Giant hogweed, killer shrimp, mink, and parakeets are examples of non-native species that have become established.

Ash dieback, as well as the sea squirt Didemnum vexillum, are examples of recent arrivals that have had a significant impact.

Although the overall cost of invasive non-native species to the UK economy has increased, some species, like rabbits, have decreased, presumably as a result of efficient management, according to the lead author and senior scientist at CABI, Dr. Rene Eschen via The Guardian.