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1. Contingency Plan Species for Wales
This list of species has been compiled in response to the GB Non-Native Species Strategy call to make rapid eradication of INNS species that are not yet present in Wales a key priority. The contingency plans set out how Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales would expect to respond to a new incursion of any species on this list into Wales. Similar plans are in place for England and Scotland.
View all Contingency plan species for Wales on the INNS Portal.
2. INNS of Interest to Wales
All taxa from all other lists combined and is used as the basis for the INNS Portal. Please be aware that not all invasive non-native species that are present in Wales are included in the list, only those that have been identified to be of particular legislative or policy interest. The list of all 351 INNS, including synonyms, common names and their list membership is available for download in [PDF] and [XLSX] or is available on the NBN Atlas.
View all INNS of interest to Wales on the NBN Atlas.
3. Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern (EU IAS)
The EU Regulation (1143/2014) on invasive alien (non-native) species [EU IAS] entered into force on 1 January 2015. The Regulation imposes restrictions on a list of species known as ‘species of Union concern’. These are species whose potential adverse impacts across the European Union are such that concerted action across Europe is required. On 14 July 2016, the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1141 which implements the list of species of Union concern, comprising 37 species. On 13 July 2017, the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation 2017/1263 adding a further 12 species and a further 17 species were added to the list on the 26 July 2019 by the Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/1262.
View EU IAS taxa on the INNS Portal.
4. GB NNSS Alert Species
The Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat are the overarching co-ordinating body for INNS actions in England, Scotland and Wales. The Alert Species list has been compiled by the GB NNSS and consists of species that are of special interest to GB, for example, from a political perspective, or that they are not present in GB, or that more information on species distribution is needed to inform management decisions.
GB Alert species are signified in the INNS Portal by a red triangle e.g. 
. Sightings of these species are to be reported immediately following instructions on the species information page of the GBNNSS website.
View GB NNSS Alert species on the INNS Portal.
5. Marine Invasive Non-native Species Priority Monitoring and Surveillance Species List for Wales (Wales Marine Monitoring and Surveillance)
This list of marine invasive non-native species was developed by Welsh Government to provide a list of priority species for Wales and represents those assessed to have, or could have, a high environmental impact. The list includes those that are already present in Wales and are of monitoring interest, and those that are on the horizon and under surveillance. Species listed include those listed under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Water Framework Directive, WCA 1981 and others of regional interest. The taxa available on the INNS Portal includes those listed as monitoring ‘high’ and ‘medium’ risk and surveillance ‘high’ risk and as such are an extract from the complete list.
View Wales Marine Monitoring and Surveillance on the INNS Portal.
6. Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) UK priority species (2015)
The MSFD outlines a transparent, legislative framework for an ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities which supports the sustainable use of marine goods and services. The overarching goal of the Directive is to achieve ‘Good Environmental Status’ (GES) by 2020 across Europe’s marine environment. The MSFD outlines 11 high level descriptors of GES in Annex I of the Directive including Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely alter the ecosystems [1].
This list has been developed as the MSFD UK monitoring and surveillance list for marine non-native species (CEFAS, 2015 [2]) to focus efforts on ‘priority’ marine species, representing those that do or could have a high environmental impact.
View MSFD UK priority species on the INNS Portal.
7. NRW Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
Species on this list are of particular interest to the work of Natural Resources Wales, the lead adviser to Welsh Government and regulatory body, responsible for biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources (SMNR). As part of NRW’s duty to deliver SMNR under the Environment (Wales) Act 2015, NRW is required to produce the State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR) and Area Statements. This list provides a focus to ensure that INNS issues are adequately reflected in this work.
View all NRW Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) taxa on the INNS Portal.
8. INNS – Wales Priority Species for Action (Wales Biodiversity Partnership INNS Group)
The purpose of this list is to help prioritise action on INNS in Wales. These priorities have been informed by horizon scanning, risk analysis (comprising both risk assessment and risk management) and consultation with the Wales Biodiversity Partnership INNS Group, GB NNSS, NRW and Welsh Government.
The list follows the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) three stage hierarchical approach for invasive non-native species (also enshrined in the GB Non-Native Species Strategy) prioritising:
- Prevention; followed by,
- Early detection and rapid response; followed by,
- Long term strategic management
The list takes into account the risk posed by a species (assessment score) and whether an effective, strategic and sustainable management is possible based on the CBD hierarchy. The taxa are classified by their priority: prevention; management; or long-term management. This list includes terrestrial and freshwater species. The version of the list available here is the latest draft version and is awaiting review by the WBP INNS Group.
View all 51 INNS – Wales Priority Species for Action on the INNS Portal.
9. Water Framework Directive (WFD) UKTAG alarm species (2015)
The alarm list has been compiled by the UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG) Alien Species Group using data from a range of sources, and in the light of comments and suggestions from external reviewers. Its aim is to encourage reporting of any species listed to the relevant authorities and thus provide an opportunity for appropriate action to be taken. The species listed are those thought to pose a risk to surface waters and their ecological status under the EC Water Framework Directive, but whose presence has not yet been recorded in Great Britain. This list applies only to England, Scotland and Wales.
View WFD UKTAG aquatic alarm species on the INNS Portal.
10. Water Framework Directive (WFD) UKTAG aquatic alien species impact (2015)
The purpose of the Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters (rivers and lakes), transitional waters (estuaries), coastal waters and groundwater. It will ensure that all aquatic ecosystems and, with regard to their water needs, terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands, meet ‘good status’ by 2015 [3].
The species listed are those thought to pose a risk to surface waters and their ecological status under the EC Water Framework Directive. The species are listed according to their impact on native habitats and biota; classified as: high; moderate; low; unknown; and waiting list.
View WFD UKTAG aquatic alien species impact on the INNS Portal.
11. Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) Schedule 9 plants and animals
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) is the principal national legislation dealing with non-native species.
Section 14(1) of the WCA makes it illegal to release or allow to escape into the wild any animal which is not ordinarily resident in Great Britain and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state or is listed in Schedule 9 to the Act. It is also illegal to plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild any plant listed in Schedule 9 to the Act.
The INNS Portal includes all taxa in Part 1 (non-native animals established in the wild) and Part 2 (plants) of Schedule 9 but does not include taxa in Part 1A (native animals) or 1B (animals no longer normally present).
View WCA Schedule 9 taxa on the INNS Portal.
[1] EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, JNCC, accessed 3 September 2018. http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5193
[2] Stebbing, P., Tidbury, H. and Hill, T. 2015. Development of priority species lists for monitoring and surveillance of marine non-natives in the UK. Cefas contract report C6484. Issue date 30/10/2015.
[3] Council Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (Water Framework Directive), JNCC, accessed 3 September 2018 http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-1375