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The impact of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) can be manifold, ranging from loss of crops, damaged buildings, and additional production costs to the loss of livelihoods and ecosystem services. INNS are increasingly abundant in Great Britain and in Europe generally and their impact is rising. Hence, INNS are the subject of considerable concern in Great Britain, prompting the development of a Non-Native Species Strategy and the formation of the GB Non-Native Species Programme Board and Secretariat.

A number of estimates of the economic impact of INNS on various countries, including the UK, exist, but the detail in many of these estimates is lacking and the impact on different sectors of the country is largely unknown. This research estimates the current annual cost of INNS to the British economy. The report provides assessments of the economic cost of INNS to twelve sectors and the report contains detailed examples for three species (Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and floating pennywort). Five case studies are also included to demonstrate the costs of eradication at different stages of invasion.