Funding Restored for Environment Department, Easing Fears Over Asian Hornet Control

The Island’s network of Asian-hornet volunteers has welcomed a late reprieve after States Members voted to reinstate substantial funding to the Environment Department.

The Assembly yesterday backed an amendment from the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, agreeing to raise the department’s 2026 budget by £656,000. The proposal passed decisively, with 44 votes in favour and only one against.

The move overturns earlier plans to cut the department’s spending from this year’s £11.76 million to £11.11 million next year — a reduction that Environment Minister Steve Luce had warned would create “significant challenges” for a team already “under increasing pressure year on year”.

Among those relieved by the U-turn was Jersey Asian Hornet Group member John de Carteret, who had argued that the funding shortfall would have undermined efforts to curb the fast-spreading invasive species. The Island’s Invasive Species Officer, who oversees hornet control in addition to numerous other ecological threats, is already stretched, he noted.

Speaking after the vote, Mr de Carteret said the volunteer network was “heartened” by the show of political support.

“States Members recognised that cutting the Environment Department’s overall budget would inevitably restrict the resources available for the Asian-hornet response,” he said. “The work relies not only on consumables but also on engaging professional pest controllers.”

The scale of the challenge continues to grow. A total of 694 nests have been located so far this year, compared with 261 over the same period last year.

Mr de Carteret thanked the public for their vigilance in reporting sightings and highlighted the dedication of the volunteer teams who track down nests across the Island.

“Working closely with the department, we hope to streamline our operations and increase our effectiveness as the pressure from this species continues,” he added.