The leaf flatworm, which has spread in Sweden in recent years, is included in the list. The park slide, giant slide, and hybrid slide are also included, but they have such a large spread that they are exempt from the requirement for eradication. However, property owners are not allowed to spread, sell, or transport the species.
The mink is also exempt from the requirement for eradication. It originally comes from North America, but is today one of the biggest threats to biological diversity in archipelago environments.
They have spread very quickly and that's one reason why they cause so many problems, says Johan Linnander, administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency.
A mystery
Sweden's climate and nature are quite similar to the mink's North American home, but that doesn't have to have any significance for whether a species establishes itself and becomes invasive. What determines it is something of a mystery. Johan Linnander takes the so-called Tromsø palm, or Tromsølok, as an example.
It's a relative of the giant lok that originally comes from Iran. It's very common in Tromsø, because it has taken hold there for some reason. It's not particularly common in Sweden and not much in the rest of Norway.
Some species are classified as so-called door knockers. These include the sika deer and the North American beaver. They are not yet found in Sweden, but in our neighboring countries and can spread here and compete with native species.
A mistake
The sika deer can mate with native endangered deer, which in turn can lead to hybrids that are infertile. The deer is believed to have been planted by people who want to hunt it, while the beaver may have been released by mistake.
One didn't necessarily know that it was a North American beaver that was released, but thought it was a European beaver, because they are very similar to each other.
Another door knocker is the weatherfish, which has not yet been found in Swedish nature, but may be found in aquarium trade and Swedish garden ponds. It can reproduce quickly and survive for months on land if it stays moist.
The list's horror is the Asian giant hornet, also known as the killer hornet due to its size and strong venom.
It's big and stings and isn't so much fun. I'm a bit hesitant to mention it because it hasn't been found in Europe. It's a preventive listing and if it were to appear in any EU country, it should be removed.
Boel Holm/TT
Facts: New on the EU's list of invasive species
TT
Occurrence in Sweden Established: Mink (mammal) Park slide (plant) Giant slide (plant) Hybrid slide (plant) Found: Leaf flatworm (flatworm) Sydfyrling (plant)
Door knockers: Chinese mayna (bird) Northern pacific seastar (starfish) Shovel-headed garden worm (flatworm) North American beaver (mammal) Sika deer (mammal) Chinese mystery snail (snail) Calico crayfish (crustacean) Weatherfish (fish) Northern oriental weatherfish (fish) Dwarf surf clam (clam) Japanese eelgrass (plant) New Guinea flatworm (flatworm) Asian giant hornet (insect)
Not found: Garvakacia (plant) Asian needle ant (ant) Paper mulberry tree (plant) Common yabby (crustacean) Summer green (plant) Ramshorn apple snail (snail) Red-eared bulbul (bird)
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
