Invasive alien fears

British pet lovers could be banned from keeping stick insects and other foreign creatures thanks to proposed EU regulations on ‘invasive alien species’.

MEP Paul Nuttall fears that that stick insects could fall foul of EU regulations which propose banning non-native pets which the EU claims pose a “serious threat to native plants and animals in Europe'.

"You would think that the EU would have enough to worry about with the on-going economic crisis without sticking its nose into such nonsense. If we need such legislation let's leave it to Westminster," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Euro-MP for the North West.

“It is not the so-called invasive alien species we should be worried about – but the invasive alien EU bureaucrats, who are the real problem.

“Many specialist pet shops could be put out of businesses as a result of these regulations. Stick insects are hardly crocodiles. They pose no risk to life and limb and in fact stick insects are captive bred commercially in the UK .”

Stick insects kept as pets are bred in captivity in the UK but originate from hot tropical countries including Australia , Thailand and Madagascar.

“Many people in the UK enjoy keeping these stick insects and, in addition, many children develop an interest in the natural world as a direct result of looking after their own stick insects, and some of these children go on to have successful careers as scientists.

“People look after them in cages indoors and know not to release them because this is prohibited under the 1981 Countryside and Wildlife Act.

“Even if some were released or escaped outside these would soon perish. The overnight temperatures in the UK are far too cold for tropical stick insects to survive.

“They are harmless and pose no danger to people. They are captive-bred commercially in the UK and are not on endangered or critical species lists. As they cannot survive in the wild they are no threat at all to the British eco-system.

“There is no justification for banning people from keeping pet tropical stick insects in the UK," said Mr Nuttall.