Squid's in and the bees have buzzed off in the Lothians

We discover if climate change is a tasty treat or a sting in the tail.

FISH and chip shop boss Filippo Crolla is waiting for another delivery of one of his fastest-selling products.

Since he placed squid on the menu, his Henderson Row chippy, L'Alba D'oro, has become a popular venue for diners seeking something a little more unusual with their chips.

These days the choice couldn't be more curious – squid, more typically found in Mediterranean waters, netted in the Forth.

If the chip shop is doing well on locally-caught squid, so too are the fine-dining restaurants dotted around the city, snapping it up during its brief spell in season.

The squid might be going down well with diners, restaurants and fishermen, but elsewhere, rapid changes in our local environment are not so welcome. Not far away, beekeeper John Troup looks over the empty hives across his land and remembers a time – not so long ago – when they literally buzzed with activity.

Today there is hardly sight or sound of a bee at his Penicuik-based Braeside Apiary. Where once he kept more than 100 hives, each one home to up to 80,000 honey bees, today he's lucky if he can count the number that survive on two hands.

Soon, he believes, there will be none – and that, he warns with a weary shake of his head, is bad news for everyone.

"I don't really know what's happening – whether it's all to do with the environment or whether it's to do with foreign mites killing off the bees," he says. "But I know the bees aren't here any more and that it's affecting everyone."

The rapid changes to the environment were highlighted last week by Environment Minister Michael Russell as he joined volunteers at the Water of Leith rooting out Himalayan balsam, which is threatening to leave river banks devoid of native vegetation.

The plant is one of a long list of invaders threatening Scotland's native species: American mink are busy wiping out water voles, Japanese knotweed clogs up riverbanks, the grey squirrel brings disease that could wipe out its red cousins. Even our native bluebell is under attack from a hardier Spanish variety.

The Government has unveiled its Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy in an effort to tackle the problem.

It is designed to raise awareness among the public about which species pose a risk, and to help prevent them being introduced in the first place.

"This is crucial to ensure that Scotland's rich natural heritage is protected," said Mr Russell. "Invaders can also have a detrimental impact on our economy, with agriculture, forestry and fisheries being particularly vulnerable sectors, costing the British economy at least £2 billion per year."

Of course, our changing environment can make money too.

Certainly fishermen, chefs and chip shop regulars enjoying their first taste of Scottish squid might agree.

Squid numbers have steadily grown in Scottish waters since they were first spotted in the Moray Firth a few years ago. What was once regarded by fishermen as an ill omen is now being seen as one of the potential saviours of the industry.

Among the leading chefs to place the catch on his dining tables is Michelin-starred Tom Kitchin, who has been using Scottish squid in his restaurant since he opened his doors.

"People don't realise it is caught in Scottish waters," he says. "Fishermen have been exporting squid to Spain and Paris and only now have they started to realise a market is on our doorstep."

But while fishermen welcome the changes, beekeepers such as John rue the dawning of a new climate and the shrinking world that come with it.

"People are having to buy their bees in from abroad, so the days of pure Lothian honey are pretty much going to be gone," he says.

But Cameron Elliot, boss of Morningside based Primo Landscaping, might take a bit more convincing that new species and a warmer climate are all bad. His business is under siege from city homeowners seeking to take advantage of an increasingly Mediterranean climate by snapping up olive and palm trees.

He even created a "Mediterranean" corner for JK Rowling at her Merchiston home. "Climate change and global warming are not all bad," he says.

NATURE UNDER ATTACK

So what's nature's biggest threat? And what can we expect to see in the future?

GIANT HOGWEED: Arrived in Britain from Asia in the 19th century but has rapidly spread to the extent that it is choking native plants. Often found widespread along riverbanks, it grows up to 20ft tall.

GREY SQUIRREL: Originally from North America, it has gained an overwhelming presence in Scotland. Threatens red squirrels because it carries squirrel pox, fatal to red squirrels but not greys.

JAPANESE KNOTWEED: Originally an ornamental plant, it spreads seeds easily and has become the country's most invasive non-native plant.

RHODODENDRON PONTICUM: Its ability to regenerate easily means this western Asian/eastern European shrub has reached pest levels in UK woodland.

SNOWBERRY: Originally intended as a garden plant, this has now spread to woodlands, riverbanks and hedgerows, squeezing out other species.

ARCTIC TERN: Numbers are said by bird charity RSPB Scotland to have dropped by 95 per cent largely due to climate change.

OTTERS: Recently seen in the Water of Leith – a sign of improved water quality.

NORTH AMERICAN SIGNAL CRAYFISH: Impacts on fish abundance and age structure, as one of its main food sources is fish eggs and larvae. It also burrows into banks, releasing silt and causing possible slumping of banks.