Species of Union Concern

On 14 July 2016 the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1141 which set out an initial list of 37 species to which EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014 applies. There were further updates in 2017, 2019 and 2022, and the current list now contains 88 Species of Union Concern. The corresponding Northern Ireland legislation, The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019 came into force on 1st December 2019.

Please note, regulations for 4 of the 22 recently listed species added in 2022 (African clawed frog, mummichog, water lettuce, and oriental bittersweet) will not enter into force until 02/08/24, 02/08/24, 02/08/24, and 02/08/27 respectively. These species are marked in red below.

The 88 Species of Union Concern Listed are;
Plants
Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
American skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) Kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata)
Asiatic tearthumb (Persicaria perfoliata) Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora)
Balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum) Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Broadleaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) Nuttall’s waterweed (Elodea nuttallii)
 Broomsedge bluestem (Anthropogon virginicus) Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Brown seaweed (Rugulopteryx okamurae) Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) Perennial veldtgrass (Ehrharta calycina)
Chinese bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata/Lespedeza juncea var sericea) Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum)
Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera/Sapium sebiferum) Purple pampas grass (Cortaderia jubata)
Crimson fountaingrass (Pennisetum setaceum) Salvinia moss (Salvinia molesta/Salvinia adnate)
Curly waterweed (Lagarosiphon major) Senegal tea plant (Gymnocoronis spilanthoides)
Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) Silky hakea (Hakea sericea)
Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) Sosnowsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi)
Floating primrose willow (Ludwigia peploides) Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) Vine-like fern (Lygodium japonicum)
Golden wreath wattle (Acacia saligna/Acacia cyanophylla) Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
Green cabomba/Carolina fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) Water primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora)
Himalayan knotweed (Koenigia polystachya) Whitetop weed (Parthenium hysterophorus)
Japanese hop (Humulus scandens)
 Animals
African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) North American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
Amur sleeper (Percottus glenii) Northern snakehead (Channa argus)
Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) Pallas’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus)
Black bullhead catfish(Ameiurus melas) Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
Black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri) Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Bryant’s fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)
Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) Red-eared, yellow bellied & Cumberland sliders (terrapin) (Trachemys scripta spp.)
Chital/spotted deer (Axis axis) Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta)
Common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)
Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) Red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
Coypu (Myocaster coypus) Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus)
Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) Sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
Electric ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus)
Finlayson’s squirrel (Callosciurus finalysonii) Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus)
Golden Mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) Small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanaicus)
Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) South American coati (Nasua nasua)  
Indian house crow (Corvus splendens) Spiny – cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus)
Marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax) Striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus)
Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) Topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva)
Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) Tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata)
Muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi) Virile (northern) crayfish (Orconectes virilis)
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) White perch (Morone americana)
New Zealand flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus)

Invasive Species Northern Ireland

Invasive Species Northern Ireland