New analysis from environmental coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link reveals the harm being caused to beloved nature sites and treasured British wildlife by harmful invasive species. The research, released to coincide with Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) week 12-18 May, details the Sites of Special Scientific Interest across England and Wales where most invasive species sightings have been reported.
Using data from INNS Mapper collected since 2018, Link has taken reports of invasive species and mapped them across Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) across England and Wales. Dearne Valley Wetlands emerged as the SSSI with the most reports of INNS at nearly 800, with other sites fighting back the tide of INNS including the River Derwent in Derbyshire and River Dee in North Wales (please see a list of the ten worst affected sites in the release below). The effects of invasive species are undermining the health of key nature sites and their ability to contribute to the Government's target of protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
Conservationists are shining a light on the work of Local Action Groups working to manage INNS in some of the country’s most important nature sites. Local Action Groups working in these cherished nature sites have undertaken detailed surveys on the presence of INNS and have dedicated programmes to stopping their spread. But these groups are under-resourced, struggling with low-level funding that is short-term, with many groups facing potential funding losses.
Posted On: 12/05/2025
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