A campaign to protect Scotland’s waterways from damage caused by invasive non-native plant species was launched on Tuesday.
Environment minister and Perth MSP Roseanna Cunningham visited the banks of Airthrey Loch at Stirling University, where an invasive aquatic plant, Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides), was being removed from the water.
She called on gardeners to be considerate of the environment. The Be Plant Wise campaign is aimed at gardeners who tidy ponds to prepare for winter, often unwittingly assisting the spread of harmful plants.
Ms Cunningham said, “Invasive aquatic plants can cause very real problems when they establish outside of garden ponds.
“When they escape into the wild they can threaten native plants, choke waterways, exacerbate flooding and reduce opportunities for angling and boating.
“The Water Fern has been at nuisance levels at Airthrey Loch for the last two years.
“Not only is it unsightly, it is also costly to control and the large mats of ferns raise safety issues for small children and dogs who can mistake the dense coverage for firm surfaces.
“It’s important that we try to eradicate these problem species from small isolated sites, like ponds, to prevent them from spreading to larger bodies of water where they are much more difficult to control and can cause more serious problems.
“Gardeners can help protect Scotland’s waterways by following the advice in the Be Plant Wise campaign and ensuring that they dispose of all excess plant material carefully, ideally in the compost heap.”
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user robert-smith.