There are regulations that aim to prevent and minimise the impact of the introduction and spread of invasive species that are not native to England and Wales.
The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 gives effect to EU regulations on the prevention and management of the spread of invasive alien species; they list 66 species which are of special concern, of which 14 are found in England and Wales.
Widely spread The 14 species that have been identified as being widely spread in both England and Wales, and thus requiring management, are:
Animals Common nameScientific nameWhen it was listedImageChinese mitten crabEriocheir sinensis3 August 2016Egyptian gooseAlopochen aegyptiacus2 August 2017Grey squirrelSciurus carolinensis3 August 2016Muntjac deerMuntiacus reevesi3 August 2016Signal crayfishPacifastacus leniusculus3 August 2016Pond slider (all subspecies)Trachemys scripta3 August 2016
Plants Common nameScientific nameListingImageAmerican skunk cabbageLysichiton americanus3 August 2016Chilean rhubarbGunnera tinctoria2 August 2017Curly waterweedLagarosiphon major3 August 2016Floating pennywortHydrocotyle ranunculoides3 August 2016Giant hogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum2 August 2017Himalayan balsamImpatiens glandulifera2 August 2017Nuttall’s waterweedElodea nuttallii2 August 2017Parrot’s featherMyriophyllum aquaticum3 August 2016
Non-widely spread
Animals Common nameScientific nameWhen it was listedAsian hornetVespa velutina nigrithorax3 August 2016Chinese sleeper/Amur sleeperPercottus glenii3 August 2016CoatiNasua nasua3 August 2016Common mynaAcridotheres tristis15 August 2019CoypuMyocastor coypus3 August 2016Fox squirrelSciurus niger3 August 2016Indian house crowCorvus splendens3 August 2016Marbled crayfishProcambarus fallax f. virginalis (Procambarus virginalis)3 August 2016MuskratOndatra zibethicus2 August 2017New Zealand flatwormArthurdendyus triangulatus15 August 2019North American bullfrogLithobates (Rana) catesbeianus3 August 2016Pallas’s squirrelCallosciurus erythraeus3 August 2016PumpkinseedLepomis gibbosus15 August 2019RaccoonProcyon lotor3 August 2016Raccoon dogNyctereutes procyonoides2 February 2019Red swamp crayfishProcambarus clarkii3 August 2016Ruddy duckOxyura jamaicensis3 August 2016Sacred ibisThreskiornis aethiopicus3 August 2016Siberian chipmunkTamias sibiricus3 August 2016Small Asian mongoose / Javan mongooseHerpestes javanicus3 August 2016Spiny-cheek crayfishOrconectes limosus (Faxonius limosus)3 August 2016Striped eel catfishPlotosus lineatus15 August 2019Topmouth gudgeon (stone moroko)Pseudorasbora parva3 August 2016Virile crayfishOrconectes virilis (Faxonius virilis)3 August 2016
Plants Common nameScientific nameListingAlligator weedAlternanthera philoxeroides2 August 2017Asiatic tearthumbPersicaria perfoliata3 August 2016Balloon vineCardiospermum grandiflorum15 August 2019Broadleaf watermilfoilMyriophyllum heterophyllum2 August 2017Broomsedge bluestemAndropogon virginicus15 August 2019Chinese bushcloverLespedeza cuneata15 August 2019Chinese tallowTriadica sebifera15 August 2019Common milkweedAsclepias syriaca2 August 2017Crimson fountaingrassPennisetum setaceum2 August 2017Eastern baccharisBaccharis halimifolia3 August 2016FanwortCabomba caroliniana3 August 2016Floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides3 August 2016Golden wreath wattleAcacia saligna15 August 2019Japanese hopHumulus scandens15 August 2019Japanese stiltgrassMicrostegium vimineum2 August 2017Kudzu vinePueraria lobata3 August 2016MesquiteProsopis juliflora15 August 2019Perennial veldt grassEhrharta calycina15 August 2019Persian hogweedHeracleum persicum3 August 2016Purple pampas grassCortaderia jubata15 August 2019Salvinia mossSalvinia molesta15 August 2019Senegal tea plantGymnocoronis spilanthoides15 August 2019Sosnowsky’s hogweedHeracleum sosnowskyi3 August 2016Tree of HeavenAilanthus altissima15 August 2019Vine-like fernLygodium japonicum15 August 2019Water hyacinthEichhornia crassipes3 August 2016Water-primroseLudwigia grandiflora3 August 2016Whitetop weedParthenium hysterophorus3 August 2016
See also Introduced species of the British Isles
References