Response to interpellation 2023/24:424 on the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's work with valuable nature
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's work with valuable nature and the management of the stone marten. L proposes that nature conservation policy should be based on scientific facts 1 and argues that the stone marten should not be included in the list of nationally prioritized invasive species as the species has limited conditions for spreading 2 1. L emphasizes the need for priorities 3 and argues that the stone marten is an alien species that can cause material damage and pose an ecological threat 3. S argues that the stone marten is as invasive as the mink 4 5 and that the government has reduced the nature conservation appropriation.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)
Madam Speaker! Isak From has asked me if I intend to take any general initiatives regarding the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's work with valuable nature and measures linked to invasive species.
Initially, I would like to respond to Isak From regarding the example of an invasive alien species that he raises, namely the stone marten. The species was first found in Sweden in 2018, and several sightings have been made in northeastern Skåne and western Blekinge. Naturvårdsverket, with the help of Svenska Jägareförbundet, has made important efforts against this species, which has likely limited its spread. Experts at Artdatabanken at Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet assess that the stone marten does not pose a major risk to the ecosystems. Based on such scientific facts, Naturvårdsverket has also not proposed to the government that the species should be included in the list of nationally prioritized invasive alien species.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management's proposals on nationally prioritized species and regulations for the individual species are currently being prepared in the Government Offices. After the proposals have been referred, they can form a basis for supplementing national regulations on invasive alien species and thereby strengthen the efforts against these species.
Invasive alien species are an explicit threat to the biological diversity present in the new environment where a species has arrived with human assistance. The introduction may have been intentional or unintentional. This is a global problem, even if a single invasive species' threat to naturally occurring species differs between different ecosystems. Sweden has committed to international goals to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In addition to that, Sweden also has obligations to take measures against invasive alien species in accordance with the European Parliament and Council Regulation number 1143/2014 on prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
As a direct answer to Isak From's question regarding which initiatives I intend to take concerning Naturvårdsverket's work with valuable nature and measures linked to invasive alien species, I wish to state the following: In the budget bill for 2024, the government proposed increased funding for efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive alien species in the natural environment. The proposal means that 50 million shall be added to the state budget annually for this purpose during the period 2024-2026.
The initiative strengthens efforts against land-based invasive plants and animals that pose a threat to biodiversity, ecosystem services, various industries, and human health. The work will, among other things, be focused on strengthening the coordination of national efforts, increasing regionally implemented control measures, and developing effective control methods. Furthermore, it concerns action follow-up, communication efforts, national guidance, and supervisory guidance.
To return to the invasive species that Isak From mentions, the stone marten, I must point out that just because it is not included on the authorities' list of prioritized invasive species does not mean it cannot be combated. The initiative that the government has undertaken will strengthen the authorities' work against invasive species in general, and these resources can also be used for the control of the stone marten.
Isak From (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Climate and the Environment for the answer.
Now we are going to talk about a cute little rascal that, according to many including myself, including the Swedish Hunters' Association, is considered just as invasive as the mink, which also should not exist in our habitat. The stone marten has been in Europe for a long time, and there is research, not least from the Netherlands, which shows that it can cause considerable damage to nesting coastal bird species.
The Minister for Climate and the Environment accounts for the right-wing government's budget, and we both know very well that, particularly ahead of the 2023 budget, major cuts were made to the appropriation for work on valuable nature. I may in a later interpellation address the reduced appropriations for predator inventory, for the management and maintenance of paths and signs, and for the maintenance of our national parks. But for the work against invasive species specifically, the government and the Minister for Climate and the Environment have added funds.
Let me read out verbatim what is stated in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's response to the Swedish Hunters' Association's application for continued project funding of the assignment they have had from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to specifically combat and remove the stone marten from Swedish habitats. "The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's budget has in recent years been affected by reduced appropriations regarding measures for valuable nature. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has taken note of the Swedish Hunters' Association's application and realizes that the decision may have consequences if the stone marten establishes itself and spreads in the country. At the same time, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency needs to adhere to a much lower appropriation level, and therefore prioritize strictly among commitments. Against this background, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency sees itself forced to reject the application."
The government's budget for the protection of valuable nature will therefore have the consequence that the stone marten, which, in addition to laying eggs, eats cable and insulation in houses and cars, becomes very costly for the private individuals who are affected by the stone marten's ravages in houses and cars. It will be the insurance companies and the house and car owners who have to bear the costs because of a species that has never existed and should not exist in Sweden. It is, as said, just as invasive as the mink.
This is, therefore, a political prioritization with consequences for individuals, currently primarily in Skåne because the stone marten has established itself in Bromölla. But from there, it can spread.
What does the Minister for Climate and Environment intend to do to stop the spread and remove the stone marten?
Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an interesting question to discuss here on a Friday afternoon.
We need to make collective assessments of how we carry out measures against invasive alien species. Here we need to prioritize. The member speaks of a political prioritization. But the government's nature conservation policy must be based on facts, and it is. Artdatabankens assessments and the interpretation of these assessments by Naturvårdsverket and Havs- och vattenmyndigheten are an important and concrete basis for how the government chooses to make future decisions on national lists, and the facts we have received form the basis for how we should assess the stone marten going forward.
A unified assessment is needed on how measures against invasive alien species should be prioritized. It is important to try to weigh early interventions against new invasive alien species and the need to manage species that have already succeeded in spreading in our natural environment.
We are grateful for the fantastic initiative that has been taken where the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, with the help of the Swedish Hunters' Association, has succeeded with its important efforts against this species, which has likely limited its spread. It is therefore that the experts at the Species Database at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences assess that the stone marten does not pose a risk to our ecosystems. It is based on such scientific facts that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency proposes to the government that the stone marten should not be included in the list of nationally prioritized invasive alien species.
Madam Speaker! According to the scientific assessment that has been made regarding the risk that the stone marten poses to our natural environment and for the ecosystems, the species has limited conditions to spread in Sweden. In this assessment, one should also read in the risk that the stone marten would come to constitute a threat as a pest with the impact it would have on material property.
Risk assessments of the potential threats that invasive alien species pose to species are conducted repeatedly, and new findings and experiences can lead to a certain species being upgraded to a higher risk class. This means that the list of nationally prioritized alien species may be updated and that new species may be included.
The government is making a major investment against land-dwelling invasive alien species with 50 million kronor per year. Additionally, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management disposes of 15 million kronor during 2024 for measures against invasive alien species in the aquatic environment. Both I and the member are well aware that it is extra difficult to reach these species because it is harder to carry out measures in our marine and aquatic environments. We also know that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's agreement with the Swedish Hunters' Association has been successful and has meant that specially trained hunters have been able to be deployed to shoot or capture invasive alien mammals and birds, such as raccoon dog, stone marten, mink, and Egyptian goose.
We will work as much as we can to counteract invasive alien species in various ways. This can be done in many different ways. Of course, one could wish that the budget space had allowed for an expansive funding of this work even in these times, but that is how it is when the economic situation looks the way it does. Right now, we are very pleased to be able to have these ongoing special initiatives both against land-dwelling invasive species but also against invasive species in seas and watercourses.
Isak From (S)
Madam Speaker! The Minister for Climate and Environment is talking about facts. The fact is that the stone marten causes billions in damages on the continent. In Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, this beneficiary chews and bites through infrastructure and cars for billions of kronor.
During the Swedish Hunters' Association's work with the eradication of the stone marten in Bromölla and the surrounding area, damage to houses and cars has been noted. There have been a total of 24 confirmed damages during a project period of three years, with confirmed economic damages of up to millions of kronor within a fairly small area.
If we allow the stone marten to establish itself in larger areas, the damage will increase. Since the stone marten has not been here before, we also do not know what the consequences might be, for example, for the Swedish pine marten. Is it particularly good that these two species meet? We do not know that. We can state that when different species meet, one or the other usually has to give way.
Based on the answer from the Minister for Climate and Environment, I see it as relevant to ask about appropriation 1:3 for Naturvårdsverket concerning damage to infrastructure. Can those funds, or the newly added funds for the control of invasive species, be used for the control of the stone dormouse? If Svenska Jägareförbundet makes a new application for special interventions from the supplementary appropriations, will Naturvårdsverket then have the possibility to grant such a project on the basis that the stone dormouse is not a species that has previously existed in Sweden?
Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)
Madam Speaker! Let me once again point out to the members why I mention facts as arguments here. It is not to refer to an assessment of a certain species' impact in Switzerland or other places in Europe, but rather to base it on the scientific evidence that I have at my disposal as a representative of the government.
I want the government's nature conservation policy to be based on facts from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and from the experts who work within the Species Database at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. It is of course interesting to hear about the stone marten's distribution in other parts of Europe, but I do not see it as a factual basis to utilize in the assessment that we need to make.
According to the scientific assessment that has been made regarding the risk that the stone marten poses to the natural environment and for the ecosystems, this species has limited conditions to spread in Sweden. It is that assessment by experts that I need to rely on - not on my assessment based on what I see for discussions and needs, but on the factual basis. That is where we want to take off from.
Of course, the government is now doing the work of preparing the material that comes in and reviewing the assessments made by other authorities in order to then make decisions on a forthcoming national list.
Madam Speaker! We can stand here for days on end and discuss an upcoming decision on a national registry, but the interesting question is whether that is where we should focus our attention. I believe that is not the case, but rather that the focus should be on how we can in different ways develop the many opportunities we have to work against invasive species.
How can we ensure that we further promote the cooperation that takes place between Naturvårdsverket and Svenska Jägareförbundet? How can we ensure that we have more well-functioning collaborations also internationally? There are working methods that have been used against, for example, raccoon dogs, which have been developed within a Life plus project where Sweden, Denmark and Finland have cooperated during the years 2010-2013 to reduce spread and occurrence. How can we also in different ways utilize what emerges from other countries' scientific bodies, universities or agencies regarding, for example, what effect the stone marten has on the pine marten and other things that we do not yet know about? How can we utilize the opportunities for cooperation that exist in this?
We can, of course, discuss exactly what the national list will look like. Before that decision is made, I can only say that the knowledge base that has come to my attention states that the stonechat as a species has limited potential to spread in Sweden. It is based on this that the government will handle this issue. Identifying a specific species in a national list entails, among other things, greater requirements for landowners to prevent the species from being on their own land.
It is therefore necessary to make a collective assessment of how to prioritize among all these invasive species that exist in our country. In that assessment, I believe there is a high value in not basing it on anecdotal evidence and gut feeling, but rather taking responsibility for ensuring that Swedish nature conservation policy is based on the facts and the science that are reported and presented to the government.
Isak From (S)
Madam Speaker! The fact is that the government has reduced the nature conservation appropriation. The fact is also that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has not granted a continuation of the Swedish Hunters' Association's stone marten project. The fact is that the government is now transferring the stone marten's potential damages to the individuals who are affected: landowners, homeowners, and car owners.
The fact is also that the stone marten has reached Sweden. One can speculate whether it has received help from humans. The most likely scenario is that it has hitched a ride on trucks from Denmark and established itself in Bromölla and the surrounding area. If the stone marten project does not continue or if one does not address this, it is likely that the stone marten will continue to spread.
The Minister for Climate and Environment did not answer my question: Can the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency use appropriation 1:3, which concerns damage to infrastructure, to combat the stone marten? Can the Swedish Hunters' Association apply for a new project based on the new appropriation for work against invasive species?
It is still the case that the stone marten has not existed in Sweden previously and should be designated as invasive.
Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)
Madam Speaker! The situation regarding the subject we are discussing is such that the Swedish Hunters' Association, in cooperation with and with funding from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, has succeeded in removing 50-100 stone martens. That is good.
The stone marten is an invasive species, and if a viable population is established, it can cause significant material damage and pose an ecological threat to our ecosystems, primarily towards certain bird species. It is not that we do not share that view.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has, however, in its expert assessment, which I cannot ignore or dismiss in favor of other facts that I personally take into account, not suggested that the stone marten should be listed as a priority invasive species. The reason for this is that it is not expected to have an ability to spread and establish itself in Sweden. This is, in turn, due to the fact that the stone marten would in that case have to compete with, for example, the pine marten, and that the entire small Swedish stone marten population is assessed to originate from individual individuals and that the stone marten population can therefore be expected to be affected by inbreeding.
Much of this is the factual basis that comes to me when we are to make similar decisions, and it would have been welcome to also discuss today the species that are instead placed on the list of prioritized invasive species, namely Japanese knotweed and water celery. Japanese knotweed is an extremely vigorous and dangerous plant that is very difficult to control and which can destroy sewage pipes and grow right through both house foundations and asphalt.
We need to make priorities in this, and I rely on the factual basis that our authorities provide, even though I certainly appreciate getting to discuss this issue and, moving forward, reviewing how we can improve the work with, for example, such agreements as the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has had with the Swedish Hunters' Association.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.