Climate change will bring more invasive species to Ireland, experts say

Ottoline Spearman

Experts are warning that more invasive species will come to Ireland due to climate change.

This comes after the first confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet in Northern Ireland.

Speaking on Newstalk, Professor Yvonne Buckley, a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council, said Ireland is attractive for these invasive species.

"This is going to become more and more of an issue with climate change because invasive species are finding Ireland to be more hospitable now with warmer temperatures, milder winters," she said.

"So we're going to see more of these kinds of incursions of species that we haven't seen before that maybe come from warmer areas in Europe or further afield, like the Asian hornet, and that will threaten our biodiversity."

Asian hornets are bigger than wasps and can devastate bee populations and many other pollinators.

Also known as the yellow-legged hornet, it feeds on native bees and wasps, damaging biodiversity.

A task force was set up in August after a confirmed sighting of an Asian hornet in Ireland.

There have been a total 36 verified sightings of Asian hornets in Cork and Dublin, along with one in Belfast.

This includes the removal of a nest of Asian hornets in Cork city in September.