- Purpose and Scope
The Invasive Species and Environmental Protection Act (ISEPA) is designed to safeguard the native biodiversity, ecological balance, and environmental integrity of the British Isles. It provides a unified legal structure to prevent the importation, release, and establishment of non-native species while mandating the restoration of native flora and fauna. - Key Provisions
2.1. General Prohibition on Importation
The importation into the United Kingdom of any living non-native species is prohibited. This includes:
- Plants
- Fungi
- Fish and aquatic organisms
- Invertebrates
- Reptiles and amphibians
- Mammals
- Birds
- Any other viable biological entity not indigenous to the British Isles, including seeds or spores capable of surviving in the UK environment
Definition of Non-Native: Any species not historically or ecologically native to the British Isles within the last 10,000 years.
Criminal Sanctions:
Breach constitutes a serious criminal offence. Penalties, to be decided upon by the convicting Court, shall include but shall not be limited to.
- Unlimited fines or,
- Confiscation of assets linked to any offence, and
- Passports cancelled and confiscated.
- Any person convicted may be placed on a newly implemented TRAVEL BAN LIST for UK Nationals for a period determined by the Courts, not less than 5 years but up to a lifetime restriction where such a travel restriction is appropriate and proportionate.
- Mandatory permanent entry bans for non-UK nationals.
- Companies found to be complicit in the illegal importation of non-native species shall be barred from the UK market.
- Government employees and Officers found to be wilfully neglectful or complicit in the importation of non-native species, shall be liable to unlimited fines, asset seizure and/or imprisonment for a period of not less than 10 years in addition to any other criminal charges under any other legislation.
- Government employees and Officers found to be wilfully neglectful or complicit in the release or continued survival of non-native species shall be liable to unlimited fines, asset seizure and/or imprisonment for a period of not less than 5 years. This shall be in addition to any offence under any other legislation.
2.2. Licensed Exceptions
Strictly regulated exceptions may be granted to:
- Licensed zoological parks,
- Conservation organisations,
- Research institutions under strictly enforced restrictions and mandatory inspections.
- Commercial operators cultivating non-native species for food in sealed, contained environments under strictly enforced restrictions and mandatory inspections.
Licences shall be:
- Subject to annual review
- Subject to restrictions for poor compliance or negligence.
- Revocable for breach or negligence
- Non-transferable to third party and non-inheritable
- Companies sold to other parties – License suspended pending reapplication.
2.3. Eradication and Control Measures
Local authorities and the Native Species Protection Authority (NSPA) shall be legally obligated to:
- Identify and remove all non-native species in the wild
- Monitor ecosystems for invasive species
- Maintain a public register of invasive species and species under threat
- Establish and maintain a public website to allow the clear identification of both native and invasive non-native species.
Species such as Japanese knotweed, grey squirrel, signal crayfish, Himalayan balsam, muntjac, fallow, sika, and Chinese water deer shall be prioritised.
Non-native trees will also be removed and replaced with native species unless independently proven to support native wildlife without ecological harm.
2.3.1 Landowners and farmers will be required to:
- Remove invasive species from their properties
- Report sightings of invasive species
- Participate in supported rewilding and ecological recovery efforts
Financial assistance or tax relief may be provided for compliance. Penalties shall apply for knowing negligence.
2.3.2 Hunting and trapping licenses will be issued by the NSPA to allow the for eradication of invasive species.
2.4. Rewilding of Native Species
Central and local governments shall:
- Reintroduce native species driven to extinction or near extinction, where ecologically viable
- Restore suitable habitats to support reintroductions
- Establish continuous native tree corridors from south to north and east to west
Exemptions apply for species deemed dangerous or incompatible with human settlement, subject to independent review.
2.5. Transitional Pet Ownership Provisions
A 10-year transition period shall apply:
- After which, non-native species may only be held by licensed zoological or conservation centres
- Private owners may surrender animals or retain them under strict conditions within the transition period.
- Private owners shall be required to register all prohibited species within 6 months of Royal Assent – failure to register will make owners liable to prosecution, seizure of the animal, plant etc, fines of no less than £5,000 and up to 10 years international travel ban, and their name registered on the Travel Ban List for UK Nationals by the Court upon conviction.
- Breeding, exchanging, bartering and sale of prohibited species shall be prohibited by the Act upon Royal Assent.
Public education campaigns and funding for approved sanctuaries will accompany the transition.
- Enforcement and Oversight
The Environment Agency shall be fully separated from Defra and granted primary enforcement authority. A new body, the Native Species Protection Authority (NSPA), will operate under the Agency to:
- Absorb the functions of Natural England
- Issue, review, and revoke licences
- Investigate offences and prosecute as needed
- Coordinate with Border Force, Trading Standards, and local authorities
The NSPA and Environment Agency shall have powers of entry and investigation under warrant. It is an offence to obstruct authorised officers.
All incoming biological materials will be subject to inspection and certification.
Defra will be abolished. Its remaining functions will be reassigned as follows:
- Food regulation responsibilities will be transferred to the Health Protection Agency under the Department of Health
- Rural affairs and countryside matters will be devolved to local authorities
- Penalties and Legal Instruments
4.1. All Offences under ISEPA shall be indictable.
4.1.1 Offences may be prosecuted under ISEPA or linked legislation:
- Serious Crime Act 2015
- Customs and Excise Management Act 1979
- Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
- Bribery Act 2010
4.2. The Terrorism Act 2000 shall be modified to include a provision for Eco-terrorism.
4.2.1. Where deliberate ecological damage is proven, custodial sentences shall apply, upon indictment, under the modified provisions of the Terrorism Act, recognising environmental sabotage as eco-terrorism.
4.2.2. The practice commonly known as “fly tipping” shall be included in the modified provisions under a definition of Eco-terrorism
Definition of Eco terrorism.
“Eco-terrorism” means the deliberate and unlawful damage, degradation, or destruction of the natural environment, ecosystems, or biodiversity, where such acts are carried out with the intent to cause widespread ecological harm, obstruct enforcement activities, or degrade public natural resources.
This shall include:
- Any fly tipping operations carried out by or on behalf of registered organisations or self-employed individuals
- Any organised or commercial-scale fly tipping
- Any instance where two or more individuals act in concert to plan, facilitate, or carry out acts of fly tipping
Prosecution under this provision may proceed in conjunction with or in addition to other applicable offences.
4.3 A tiered penalty framework will be introduced to reflect scale, intent, and repeat behaviour.
4.4 All travel restrictions imposed under this Act must be proportionate, time-bound, and subject to judicial scrutiny. The sentencing court shall provide written justification for any travel ban exceeding 10 years. Individuals subject to travel bans shall have the right to appeal to the High Court, with a statutory review no later than 5 years from imposition.
- Commencement and Legislative Integration
This Act shall take effect one month after Royal Assent. It will repeal and consolidate:
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (non-native species sections)
- Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019
- Other contradictory environmental statutes as identified by review
An official UK Native Species List shall be maintained and publicly available, updated every five years.
- Public Communication and Reporting
- An annual “State of the Native Ecology” report will be laid before Parliament
- All rewilding, removal, and monitoring data will be public.
- A whistleblower protection scheme will protect reporters of ecological crime
- A national freephone hotline and reporting website will allow public input
- Education
- The ISEPA shall give authority to the Environment Agency to create educational tools and materials for schools and other Education establishments to raise awareness of the biodiversity of the UK. This shall include but not be limited to.
- Identification of native plant species
- Identification of native animal species
- Identification of invasive plant species
- Identification of invasive animal species
- Reporting procedures for invasive species.
- Reporting procedures for environmental damage
- Legal Compliance
- Formal training Schemes for Enforcement officers
- Review and Accountability
- Parliament shall debate the “State of the Native Ecology” report annually
- The Environment Audit Committee shall conduct an annual review for the first 10 years, this may be changed to biannual by statutory instrument after this period.
- The Act shall be independently reviewed every 10 years to assess effectiveness and recommend amendments to strengthen it. It may not be watered down or repealed by successive Governments.