Help stop the spread of New Zealand pigmyweed
Sailors using the Caledonian Canal in Scotland are being asked to help prevent the spread of the highly invasive New Zealand pigmyweed.
The amphibious plant has been found on the canal at Inverness, and Scottish Canals, which manages the waterway, is looking at adopting new management techniques to eradicate it. It is currently working with specialists from the marine engineering and environmental sectors.
The non-native plant can be spread through the smallest fragments, and grows extremely quickly into dense mats, clogging waterways as well as disrupting local ecosystems and killing off native plant species. Skippers are being asked to assist in the eradication of New Zealand pigmyweed by following the check, clean and dry steps. This involves checking the boat, equipment and clothing for mud, animals and plant materials, removing anything that is found and leaving it on site. Everything should be thoroughly cleaned as soon as possible with hot water, with particular attention paid to areas which are damp and hard to access.
All equipment should be kept dry for as long as possible before it is used in another body of water, as some invasive species can survive for over two weeks in damp conditions.
New Zealand pigmyweed was introduced to the UK in 1911 as an oxygenating plant for ponds, and since the 1970s has spread rapidly, according to the GB non-native species secretariat.