Officials issue new guidance to fishermen and swimmers amid growing threat to waterways

Officials working on Guernsey, a British Isle in the English Channel, have developed a blueprint to protect the isle's waters from the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

What's happening?

Agriculture, Countryside, and Land Management Services, in collaboration with Guernsey Ports, recently created a marine biosecurity guide for people partaking in recreational and commercial activity off the island's coast. The States of Guernsey YouTube channel (@statesofguernsey) introduced it in a recent video.

The instructions call for marine users — including swimmers, anglers, paddleboarders, kayakers, and snorkelers — to thoroughly check all of their equipment before cleaning it off with fresh water.

Julia Henney, a senior natural environment officer at the States of Guernsey, notes in the video that using hot water is more effective at ensuring equipment is free of foreign vegetation, animals, or other organisms that may remain.

The final step asks for the apparatus to be completely dried before being used again. 

Why is the guide important?

The guide is a proactive measure to prevent more invasive species from outcompeting native populations for resources and decimating local ecosystems.

"There are hundreds more potentially invasive species on the horizon which could cause significant environmental, social and economic impacts if they were to enter our waters," Henney said, per the BBC, adding that Japanese wireweed has made its way to the island.

Furthermore, invasive species could impact the local economy by overwhelming commercial fisheries and infrastructure.

"Six-figure sums could be incurred in removal costs to prevent operational disruption, should they become established in future years," harbor master James Way added. 

What's being done about the invasive species?

While many places suggest eating certain aquatic invasive species to curb their numbers, Guernsey's guide can hopefully prevent residents from having to take a reactive step. 

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So long as community members take the time to follow these suggestions, it will ultimately lead to healthier biodiversity in the region. 

"Biosecurity and preventing that introduction in the first place is critically important, and it's often the only way we can deal with invasive, non-native species," Henney says in the video.

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