£7 billion cost of invasive species blighting Tayside and Fife
ByMark Mackay
The cost of dealing with invasive pests, such as the grey squirrel, is hitting the taxpayer with a bill of millions of pounds.
Invasive pests such as grey squirrels, giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed are costing taxpayers in Tayside and Fife millions of pounds.
Communities, businesses and environments are all being blighted by the alien species and it has emerged the financial cost is far greater than anyone has previously realised.
Research undertaken at Dundee University has revealed that the problem is now so great that it costs the UK and Irish economies a staggering £7 billion a year.
In Perthshire, more than £1 million is being spent controlling the grey squirrely population, which threatens to destroy native reds.
Toxic giant hogweed has blighted waterways and communities in Dundee, Monifieth, the Carse of Gowrie and Perth.
And on the rivers Tay and Earn, the voracious American signal crayfish is threatening rare freshwater pear mussels and other native species.
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£7 billion cost of invasive species blighting Tayside and Fife
