The giant loon and the giant balsam are two harmful species that are now given freer scope in Sweden.
19 out of 21 county administrative boards are cutting back on the fight against invasive species this year, TV4 Nyheterna’s mapping shows.
– Seriously, says Klara Jansson, coordinator of invasive species at the county administrative board in Västra Götaland.
The blooming mountain of Kinnekulle is one of the areas where work has been carried out for several years to remove invasive species such as the giant locust. Slowly but surely, the species, which can grow three meters high and cause nasty burns to the skin, has decreased in number. But when the county administration in Västra Götaland is now forced to pause large parts of the field work, due to reduced funding, the risk is that several years of work will be lost.
– It is problematic. Many of the measures we have taken may be undone when these species start to spread again, says Klara Jansson at the county board.
Reduced appropriations
The government’s decision to reduce funding for nature conservation has meant that almost all of the country’s county administrative boards, 18 of the 20 that responded to Nyheternas’ survey, have been forced to cut back on their work with invasive species this year.
Threats to ecosystems and human health
It is about alien species that humans have moved from their original areas and that can damage ecosystems, infrastructure and health in their new location.
The fast-spreading giant balsam is one of the species that threatens to take over areas on Kinnekulle. And the consequences here of this year’s reduced funding can be costly.
– This is a very short-term saving. These species will not stop spreading by themselves, but the spread will increase and we will have much greater measures and costs going forward, says Klara Jansson.