Eradicating invasive alien fish - It can be done, project shows

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems such as bass and trout still play an important role in generating tourism income, these predatory fish, along with habitat destruction and pollution, have all but wiped out several native fish communities in Cape rivers. Fish in the rivers of the Fynbos biome, which is home to 27 fish taxa (of which 24 are endemic, i.e. found nowhere else) are particularly threatened, with 16 species now either critically endangered or endangered. Once established in a river system, invasive alien fish are almost impossible to eradicate because of the complexities and cost involved, explains CapeNature Scientist: Freshwater Fishes, Dean Impson. Mechanical removal through electric fishing or netting, for example, is one method of controlling these fish, but this is highly labour intensive and rarely achieves complete eradication. How then to improve the status of South Africa’s highly threatened indigenous fish and associated aquatic organisms?

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