Hansard

Presiding Officer, I apologise to you and members as I will have to leave the chamber shortly after delivering my speech.

I thank Audrey Nicoll for bringing this topic to the chamber for debate, and I thank Scottish Environment LINK, which produced the report that is highlighted in her motion. Both Audrey Nicoll, by bringing the topic to the chamber, and Scottish Environment LINK, by producing such a strong and compelling report, have clearly expressed the need for comprehensive action to be taken to combat invasive non-native species.

The invasion of non-native species is a serious threat to the environment and heritage of our country. To see the effects, no one need look further than their local patch of woodland. The rhododendron, which was brought to the UK as a decorative garden plant in the late 18th century, not only invades our local countryside but is even found in spectacular temperate rainforests. It flourishes, dominating the woodland environment to the detriment of native flora and fauna.

To many, the grey squirrel might seem harmless, yet this invasive non-native species is a great threat to our native red squirrel population. The grey squirrel’s size and aggressive nature allow it to dominate available resources and habitats. That has caused the native red squirrel population to plummet, with sightings of red squirrels becoming less and less frequent. Where forests full of native trees once grew and thrived, the Sitka spruce now invades our ancient woodlands.

I was reminded of that crisis when Audrey Baird and Fiona Baker submitted a petition to the Public Petitions Committee in 2020. As a member of the committee, I was inspired by their work to protect their local woodland. The petition calls on the Scottish Government to deliver legislation to give Scotland’s remaining ancient native and semi-native woodlands full legal protection. That led me to visit one of Scotland’s unique temperate rainforests, where I witnessed for myself the devastating effect of Sitka spruce and other invasive non-native species on our precious natural heritage.

Although the tangible and visible examples of the danger of invasive non-native species are compelling, they represent only the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, aquatic life is arguably the most at risk. Managing invasive non-native species plays a major part in Scotland’s economy, because our rivers, wetlands and coastlands are particularly at risk of biodiversity loss and of coastal erosion that affects our local coastal communities. Invasive non-native species also pose a risk to our coastal industries.

Restoration Forth, which is a collaborative project funded by WWF, works in partnership to protect native species in our local waterways. That major marine restoration programme works with communities to restore seagrass habitats and the European flat oyster population in the Firth of Forth. The Ecology Centre, which is based in Kinghorn in my constituency, is a partner organisation on the project. I was pleased to visit the centre during recess to engage with the programme. With a focus on reintroducing native seagrass and oysters to the seabed of the Forth estuary, Lyle Boyle, the seagrass officer, knows only too well how important it is to carefully manage invasive non-native species.

One example of that is the project’s strict oyster biosecurity protocol. Lyle Boyle explained that, although oysters are native, individual oysters and oyster reefs can also be a habitat for a range of other species. To guard against invasive non-native species, the organisation trains volunteers to rid each oyster of any encrusted living animal before moving it to a new environment, thereby getting rid of any suspected hitchhikers.

When working in the Forth, those working for the organisation protectively manage accidental spread using footbaths. Before planting and during the monitoring process, they actively search and remove invasive non-native species. Tank water is eradicated by ultraviolet light, seed-bearing shoots are quarantined and native species are planted and protected alongside a robust monitoring protocol.

As Audrey Nicoll highlights in her motion, the Scottish Government’s nature restoration fund has been pivotal in funding community-based organisations to combat non-native invasive species in Scotland. Continued funding is necessary to help those organisations to continue their efforts to improve Scotland’s biodiversity. Like many here today, I find great joy in the outdoors—