Surveillance and Monitoring
Surveillance and monitoring of non-native species are key components of the developing GB Non-native Species Strategy. Surveillance for newly arrived species provides intelligence on what species are entering and becoming established in Britain as well as indicating what are the main means of entry. Monitoring the status of more established non-native species is also important to establish if they are becoming invasive over time.
Britain has the huge advantage that there is a strong history of volunteer recording on a wide range of species. However, there is currently no comprehensive monitoring scheme for non-native species per se.
Defra is currently funding a scoping study to assess the potential of producing a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring non-native species in Britain.
