Aliens under attack in Knysna

Municipality formulates plans and people to weed out invasive plants

ALIEN vegetation has become a thorn in the side of municipalities, as the invasive species continue to choke indigenous flora across the province.

Municipalities are now working to counter the damage alien species are causing.

The Knysna Alien Buster, a nonprofit organisation of six trained alien busters who remove alien vegetation, said they were removing the plants before they were fully grown.

Makkie Scheepers said it was best to remove the plants while they were still small by pulling them out of the soil.

“The most common of these plants are the blue gum, pine, rooikrans, Port Jackson, wattle and buckweed.

“If people can eradicate these plants in their area, Knysna will become more fireproof. If the plants are still small, it’s best to pull them out.

“When they reach a metre in length, they must be cut and immediately treated with the appropriate herbicide for that plant,” she said.

Knysna ward councillor Peter Myers said a number of private- and municipal-funded initiatives had joined in conservation talks.

“It’s crucial that the removal of alien vegetation is taken seriously for a number of reasons, like reducing fire risks, protecting the water supply (aliens consume huge quantities of water), preserving the biosphere and our precious fynbos and so on,” he said.

The City of Cape Town’s mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Marian Nieuwoudt, said ongoing awareness was raised about the invasive species through environmental education programmes, site visits and presentations.

Nieuwoudt said residents could get involved by volunteering in a “hacking group” in their area that removed the invasive species.

An intensive plan was implemented in Stellenbosch, municipality spokesperson Mart-Marié Haasbroek said, and their invasive alien plant management plan formed part of the section 76 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (10 of 2004).

Haasbroek said together with the management plan, the municipality adopted the Stellenbosch municipality integrated fire management plan.

“The municipality, in terms of planning and budgeting, largely focuses on large tracts of municipal-owned land.

“In the context of the whole of the municipality, most land is privately owned.

“It’s imperative that every landowner, whether living on a large farm or small erf in town, plays his or her part in controlling the occurrence or spread of invasive alien plants,” said Haasbroek.