PRESS RELEASE 11 March 2009
New invasive weed discovered in Lough Corrib catchment
Officers from the Western Regional Fisheries Board have confirmed that an invasive aquatic plant has been identified in a tributary of the River Clare that flows into Lough Corrib. The plant was discovered last Friday and an expert in invasive species Dr. Joe Caffrey of the Central Fisheries Board has confirmed the plant as “Azolla filiculoides - the Water fern”. This is the first confirmed finding of this species from the Corrib catchment.
The plant appears to be confined to a small watercourse less than 2 kilometres from Lough Corrib and has a distinctive reddish colour and has carpeted the surface of the watercourse concerned.
The hope is that the infestation can be contained and every effort will be made over the coming weeks to eradicate the pest from the specific location where it has been identified and hopefully confined.
The Board would be extremely concerned if the weed colonised parts of Lough Corrib, backwaters and semi-enclosed bays could be vulnerable as it likes quiet water. In these conditions the weed can cause anoxic (water deprived of oxygen) conditions. Indeed, in the watercourse affected, dissolved oxygen levels of less than 10% saturation were recorded. While this is the first report of the plant in the Corrib catchment this African invader was previously identified some 20 – 30 years ago in west Connemara and it has been confirmed at a number of locations throughout the country, mainly in the North and in the South East.
The watercourse is being sealed off, and the plant removed in an effort to prevent the spread of the plant to Lough Corrib.
This infestation comes some 5 years after the discovery of Lagarosiphon major (Curley leafed pondweed) in Lough Corrib and the spread of this plant has been nothing short of alarming.
The Fisheries Board is again calling for the immediate identification of one specific Agency with an all Ireland remit to prevent wholesale importation of aggressive alien plant (and animal) species in an effort to stop the spread of alien species into important water courses in Ireland. The plant in question has been imported into the country by garden centre’s and sold for growing in garden water features. Under no circumstances should plants like this be permitted to escape into the wild.
The Board is also imploring the Government to take immediate action to prevent special catchments (in particular Loughs Carra and Mask) from receiving alien species introductions. In this regard a special ‘Biosecurity Plan for Lough Mask’ and Carra will be published by the Western Regional Fisheries Board next week and the Board is calling for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the plan.
Further Information For more details on this press release please contact the Western Regional Fisheries Board. Contact: Dr. Greg Forde, CEO Tel. 091 563118 Email: info@wrfb.ie