Deputy Barry Brehaut said he would like to thank everyone involved in the search for Asian hornets.

Speaking to the States last week, the President of the Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure said:

"I would like to offer the Committee's thanks to the many members of the public who have helped the search for Asian hornets and in doing so have helped to protect the balance of our native ecosystems."

Pictured: Deputy Barry Brehaut. 

Deputy Brehaut had further positive news for the States on his committee's work on the island's biodiversity strategy, although he did warn there is a "great deal more work required to protect and enhance the Island's biodiversity."

He said that includes "several key areas that need further investigation, data analysis, and development, including bird populations, sour fig, pesticides, and the tree & woodland strategy."

Most of the action points planned have come from the latest habitat survey, which included worrying data on the speed at which some of the island's "richest habitats are disappearing because of the way the land has been managed".

For example, the invasive sour fig has doubled its area since 2010, while 90% of diverse grasslands have been lost since 1999.

Deputy Brehaut told the States that more work is still needed in a number of areas, but that so far there's been a great community effort in realising the aims of the biodiversity strategy. 

"Whilst a great amount of work is required, the Committee is making greater progress by working in partnership with the community and sharing knowledge with other jurisdictions. We are grateful to our friends in Alderney who hosted an inter-Island meeting last month. At this, we signed the Blue Islands Environmental Charter, which aims to protect the environment of island communities.

"The biodiversity strategy, working with the Biodiversity Partnership Group (made up of third sector stakeholders), has delivered and supported many initiatives already, including work by the Pollinator Project raising awareness of the importance of pollinating insects, a Ramsar management plan for Herm to support sustainable use of wetlands, and Guernsey's first BioBlitz in May of this year, a citizen's science initiative that gathered valuable data by engaging with schools and members of the public."

Pictured: An asian hornet nest discovered in Guernsey earlier this year.