In brief: Environment officials in Jersey have warned that climate change will bring more invasive species to the Island, and that a fundamental decision must be made about whether to continue the costly programme of eliminating Asian hornets. A potentially more serious threat, the Asian tiger mosquito, has already been found in the UK and is now established across much of France, including areas close to Jersey.
The Asian Hornet Battle: Are We Losing?
Jersey’s long-running campaign against the Asian hornet has been one of the Island’s more visible environmental efforts, and for a while it was held up as a model of how to tackle an invasive species. That reputation is now under considerable strain. Asian hornet co-ordinator Alastair Christie admitted earlier this year that the fight was being lost, and the numbers bear that out: by September 2026, around 690 nests had been found, compared to 475 at the same point in 2025, according to the Jersey Evening Post.
Willie Peggie, group director for Natural Environment, told an Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel that several areas near Jersey had “essentially given up” tackling the hornet, given the sheer density of nests in France. His assessment of Jersey’s options was blunt: “I think we need to try and establish what we want to do with them. Do they become a known and welcome pest in the Island, or do we maintain what is a very expensive spending programme dealing with all of them?”
One pragmatic suggestion on the table is to shift focus away from total eradication and towards targeted removal of nests in high-risk locations, such as near schools and care homes. Environment Minister Mary Le Hegarat confirmed that funding for the programme remains in place for 2026, but Mr Peggie noted that the effective budget has been stretched thin: “cash became lesser” because the programme was dealing with more nests than ever before, even without a formal reduction in funding.
A Bigger Worry: The Tiger Mosquito
As concerning as the Asian hornet situation is, officials are pointing to a potentially far more serious threat on the horizon. The Asian tiger mosquito, known scientifically as Aedes albopictus, has now been found in the UK, and Mr Peggie did not mince words about the implications: “Asian hornets might give you a nasty sting, but they perhaps aren’t quite as problematic as Asian tiger mosquitoes, which have now been found in the UK, so there’s a reasonable assumption that they have jumped continent and missed us. There are some very real disease threats that come with those.”
The tiger mosquito is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the world but has spread widely. It can carry diseases including yellow fever and dengue fever. According to April 2026 data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the species is now established across the vast majority of France, including Ile-et-Vilaine and Morbihan in Brittany, and has been classified as “introduced” in Normandy. Jersey experts were warning as far back as 2018 that the mosquito could reach the Island. The mosquitoes have been linked to a rise in dengue fever in Europe in recent years, though UK authorities have said the risk in mainland Europe remains low, and not all mosquitoes carry the diseases.
Adapting to a Changing Island
The broader message from officials is that Islanders need to adjust their expectations about what Jersey’s natural environment will look like in the years ahead. Assistant Environment Minister Kirsten Morel said that “one of the things Islanders are going to have to come to understand is that because of climate change, species are going to change.” He added that species people remembered from their childhoods might not return, “because the climate is changing and they’re not going to be able to live here anymore.”
Deputy Morel also cautioned against nostalgia as a guide to policy: “I do sometimes fear that people want to preserve things as they were 15 years ago, but we can’t do that.” It is a reasonable point, even if it sits uncomfortably with those who would prefer their Island to remain exactly as they remember it.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
