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Be on the Lookout - it's Invasive Non-Native Species Week! (16-22 May)

Neil Kinnerly • May 12, 2022

Since the first explorers sailed to far flung places over the last few hundred years, people have brought unusual plants and animals into Great Britain. Many were brought in to enhance someone’s land or out of idle curiosity. Today we live with the consequences of their actions. Killer shrimp, originally from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea but now found in Cardiff Bay and West Glamorgan, prey on native animals and fish eggs, altering the ecology and putting pressure on native species. Water primrose and floating pennywort are highly invasive and can rapidly block waterways, forcing out native wildlife and making it hard for any craft to navigate. These are just two examples of alien species that have been brought in to our country and have upset the ecosystem.

What's it got to do with me?

A number of these alien species not only detrimentally impact our native species but also have a massive impact on our waterways where you may well be paddling. Several plant species have caused a major headache to navigation authorities who have to spend £25 million per year in clearing these plants that are able to totally block river, lake and canal systems and prevent the commercial and recreational use of these waters.

Unfortunately, people still bring alien species of plants and animals into the UK without due consideration of what their impact can be. Even within Wales, we can unwittingly transfer species from one area to another. The very nature of paddling is that the craft is highly transportable and can go from one watercourse to another, and one country to another.

What can I do as a paddler, instructor, coach, leader or guide?

All paddlers can help prevent the spread of invasive species! But if you're an instructor, coach, leader or guide, you have a vital role to play in promoting the need to halt the spread of alien species by all paddlers, regardless of where they are paddling.

Get in the know - Find out what these invasive species look like, and look out for them. Here's a guide to the top 8 aliens on our waterways.
Report sightings - Take a photo and report suspected sightings.
Stop the Spread - use Check Clean Dry procedures when using different waterways.
Join an INNS event - check the events calendars below and get involved with learning more or controlling existing non-native species.
Sharing is caring - share your knowledge and best practice with other paddlers so they can help combat invasive species as well.

How do we stop the spread?

Regardless of the type of paddling you do, whether competitive or recreational, inland or coastal, the chances are that you take your craft onto different waterways where there is a chance you may come in contact with these harmful species. So... Check Clean Dry to stop the spread!

1. Check you're not carrying living organisms
- Check your equipment and clothing for living organisms.
- Equipment - pay particular attention to areas that are damp and hard to inspect such as the bow and stern of the boat, under the seats and rims and behind buoyancy bags and foot rests.
- Clothing - check folds of cagoules, buoyancy aids, spray-decks, throw-lines, and the clothes you wear under your cagoules.
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2. Clean all equipment, clothing and shoes
- Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and clothes thoroughly.
- If you do come across any organisms, leave them at the water body where you found them - do not take them home, and if they are notifiable - Report It!
- Use tap water to clean your boat. In times of drought you will have to do this with watering cans and buckets. Take water with you so Plan Ahead!
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3. Dry equipment and clothing carefully
- Dry all equipment and clothing - some species can live for many days in moist conditions. If it’s a warm sunny day, leave your boat out in the sun to dry - along with your extra kit.
- If the sun won’t help then do dry your kit with towels etc ... they will need to be washed after use (unless you can dry them out properly between uses). You might need to think of innovative ways of reaching inside the end of your boat but it’s important to do so.
- Make sure you don't transfer water elsewhere.
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Using Hot Water

A new innovative way to stop the spread is to soak small items at 45 degrees C for 15 minutes. This has proved to result in a 99% mortality rate across all non-native species.

Events in Wales this week

From recording slipper limpets on the Menai Straits to learning how to control knotweed, there are lots of online and local events happening in Wales this invasive species week. You can download the events calendar here (PDF).

For further events happening online and across Great Britain, check here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/what-can-i-do/invasive-species-week/events/