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Changes to UK law

T

Themuleous

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2007
Messages
4,121
Location
Aston, Oxfordshire
Hi All,

I just wanted to let people konw that there has been a recent change in the law covering certain plants. Schedule 9 of the Widlife and Countryside Act 1981 lists all those species which it is an offence to sell or to cause to spread in the wild. A revision of this Scheudle came into for on 6th April, with a range of new speices being added. For us planted people the most notable are probably the following all of which I have seen for sale.

Water Lettuce Pistia stratiotes
Parrot’s Feather Myriophyllum aquaticum
Australian Swamp Stonecrop Crassula helmsii (otherwise known as New Zealand Pygmyweed)
Giant Salvinia Salvinia molesta
Curly Waterweed Lagarosiphon majorWaterweeds
All species of the genus Elodea.

More info can be found here

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/uksi_20100609_en_1
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/ ... -pb4-l1g27

Sam
 
There was a consultation about this, but as always no knew about it really! I'm in the business and we didn't even hear about it!

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/w ... ansale.htm

Guess the trouble with both elodea and water lettuce is how invasive they can be, elodea especially can choke ponds and rivers. Which is why its been added I would assume.

Sam
 
Hi all,
I wonder if this is an EU change? this isn't because I'm EU bashing, but just that neither Water Lettuce Pistia stratiotes or Giant Salvinia Salvinia molesta can survive the winter in the UK.

There are also a few more aquatic species to be added to section 2 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside act - Cabomba carolina, Ludwigia spp. etc.

cheers Darrel
 
Been out today and noticed that both shops I went to where still selling cabomba and elodia, and one was selling water lettuce too.
So the law states you cannot sell these plants anymore, Are we still allowed to 'give' them away to other members?
Cabomba and elodia are classic aquarium plants after all.
 
Ok :thumbup:
Best stock up guys if you have any future plans that involve the listed plants.
I dont see how water lettuce and cabomba could be an issue to our local waters. Neither of them survive outside temperatures in the winter to any extent o_O
Its a shame when things like this happen (aimed at the cabomba here). It is a classic plant, look in any old planted tank book and it will hit you.
 
The list seems to be a real mixed bag - I can't see how some of these species can be a problem if we continue to have cold winters? Maybe they know something we don't about climate change. On the other hand some of the plants have potential to be a nightmare. I had a holiday on the Gironde in France a few years ago and many of the freshwater channels around the estuary were choked with Ludwigia uruguayensis - beautiful yellow flowered plant but obviously incredibly invasive in the right conditions. Guess the principle behind the list is precautionary - probably right having seen the problems caused by Japanese knotweed, himalayan balsam and so on.
 
If climate change wams up so we dont get frost planted tanks in the uk will take a massive blow.
 
Hi all,
I've found some more details (via "Plantlife"), these suggest that species aren't actually banned for sale (although Plantlife would like them to be), "Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 lists plants that are illegal to plant or cause to grow in the wild......In England and Wales the schedule has recently been reviewed, and from April 2010 there will be almost 40 plants listed."

http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/plantlife-campaigning-change-invasive-action.htm

So this may account for some of the more unlikely items on the list, it is aimed at stopping them getting into the wild, particularly as under some of the climate change models conditions may become suitable for them in the future.
I had a holiday on the Gironde in France a few years ago and many of the freshwater channels around the estuary were choked with Ludwigia uruguayensis - beautiful yellow flowered plant but obviously incredibly invasive in the right conditions
Click to expand...
it or a similar species is now an invasive plant in the UK (New Forest and London).

http://www.t-c-m-rd.co.uk/invasive-weeds/water-primrose/

cheers Darrel
 
Sale etc. of invasive non-native species

(1)Subject to the provisions of this Part, a person is guilty of an offence if he sells, offers or exposes for sale, or has in his possession or transports for the purposes of sale—

(a)an animal or plant to which this section applies, or

(b)anything from which such an animal or plant can be reproduced or propagated.

(2)Subject to the provisions of this Part, a person is guilty of an offence if he publishes or causes to be published any advertisement likely to be understood as conveying that he buys or sells, or intends to buy or sell—

(a)an animal or plant to which this section applies, or

(b)anything from which such an animal or plant can be reproduced or propagated.
Click to expand...

:thumbdown:
 
I'm not sure about this. Sam's initial post says: "...the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 lists all those species which it is an offence to sell or to cause to spread in the wild."

Now to me, that doesn't ban the distribution of plants free of charge, if this is done in a responsible manner. If we were to exchange plants, free of charge, between members of this forum who are personally known to each other and mutually understood to be responsible aquatic plant growers - and such exchange was done with an explicit understanding that the plants were to be grown only in controlled conditions indoors, and eventually to be destroyed and not given any opportunity to spread in the wild - wouldn't that be OK?
 
I will check with my boss on Tuesday (and I really don't want to debate the wording of the law as its very tedious!) but my reading of section 14ZA is that it is an offence to sell them (although it doesn't specifically say Schedule 9 only ' to which this section applies'), perhaps plantlife were working from an old copy of the WCA 1981! :lol:

Sam
 
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