30 May 2023 – Invasive species can have a huge impact on native wildlife and the ecosystem they enter, often leading to a loss in biodiversity. Some companies are now utilising these intruders in their products.
The loss of biodiversity is a huge problem for our environment. There are many factors that can lead to it but the main drivers are: habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, climate change and invasive species.
Non-native species are a huge problem that threaten native wildlife, plants and whole ecosystems. Governments around the world are grappling with the task of removing these intruders or preventing more from entering new areas.
But now some companies are using some non-indigenous species for their products to help fight the loss of biodiversity.
Why Invasive Species Are Such Bad News
Non-native species are organisms, animals or plants that move to an area where they don’t belong. When they invade an ecosystem, they can cause ecological harm, such as damaging the environment, killing or outcompeting other animals and plants, spreading diseases and changing habitats.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), there are around 2,000 non-indigenous species in Britain. And it’s estimated that 10 to 12 new species arrive every year and make their home here.
But these non-native species don’t just impact on our environment, they are also costly for our economy. DEFRA estimates that invasive species cost the British economy £1.84 billion every year.
One of the most commonly known invaders in the UK is the grey squirrel. It’s a native to North America and has first been brought over in the 1870s as an ornamental species for stately homes.
It soon spread, and it can now be found in much of mainland England. Because it is bigger than the native red squirrel, it has outcompeted the locals for food and habitats. But it is also a carrier of the squirrel box virus.
While immune to the disease itself, it passes it on to the native red squirrel, who will die from it. We now only have red squirrels in localised pockets, mostly in Scotland and some small areas in England and Wales.
But the grey squirrels also strip the bark of many tree species, such as beech, sycamore, oak, poplar, sweet chestnut, birch and bat willow. By doing so they damage these trees and stop them from growing mature.
Mature trees are vital to the survival of many species, such as certain fungi, invertebrates and the animals that eat them. As a result, grey squirrels are responsible for biodiversity loss.
Other invasive species that damage ecosystems in the UK include green grab, Pacific oysters, pitcher plants, killer algae, American mink, floating pennyworth and muntjac.
Using Non-Native Species As Resources
Managing and removing invasive organisms can be a challenge and costs money. But there are also commercial opportunities and some companies are already exploiting them.
The Canadian firm Wilder Harrier produces dog food, but they have one particular flavour that helps tackle the problem of non-native species. Their line “Sustainable Fish” is made using silver carp.
This fish is normally at home in China and eastern Siberia, but it was brought to the US in the 1970s by fish farmers. But the silver carp escaped into the wild and is now causing problems to native fish species, because it outcompetes them for food.
By using this alien species as an ingredient, the dog food company helps protect the rivers and fish in the rivers and canals in the US and Canada. And they hope that one day, they won’t be able to make this product any more.
It may sound weird to be actively selling a product that we hope gets discontinued. But that’s part of our purpose… because we want to make a difference. And that includes a product line with – all going to plan – a diminishing supply of its main ingredient.
Caitlin Benn, Marketing Director at Wilder Harrier
Another organisation that wants to turn an invasive organism into profit is The Sargasse Project. The project takes its name from the invader it tries to help eliminate, sargassum.
This is a large seaweed that normally occurs in the Atlantic. But in 2011, it was first recorded on Caribbean beaches. Not only does the algae suffocate native wildlife, it also gives off a horrible smell as it decays on the shores.
The gases that it emits can also give people headaches, nausea and breathing difficulties. And one resident of the Caribbean island of St Barts has had enough. Pierre-Antoine Guibout founded the Sargasse Project which aims at using the invading seaweed to make a cardboard-like material.
Currently still in the testing phase, Mr Guibout wants to sell this sargassum cardboard to online shopping firms such as Amazon and La Redoute to send out their orders.
Invasive species are a big driver for biodiversity loss, which can seriously harm our environment. By using these invaders in various products, companies can help tackle the problem.
