Aquatic Invasive Weeds
Aquatic invasive plants have spread throughout the UK, predominantly on slow moving or still water bodies and now pose one of the greatest threats to our fragile ecosystems.
They share similar qualities of other classic invaders; rapid growth, ability to regenerate from tiny fragments and no natural predators. Infestations expand rapidly, with a spread of up to 8 hectares per year recorded for a single species on a lake in France. The distribution and size of infestations is increasing exponentially and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
The recent amendment to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 now prohibits the spread of floating pennywort, parrots feather, water primrose, floating water primrose, duck potato, water hyacinth and Australian swamp stonecrop onto neighbouring land and failing to do so could attract a substantial fine.
