This morning Jim (VanKirk) encouraged me to read a story in our local paper about a research project on hydrilla that’s getting some interesting criticism. A local fisherman is concerned that a hydrilla control project will impact the fish he usually catches.To my environmentally-sensitive friends, and to many IPM professionals I know, hydrilla is an invasive weed that chokes out native plant species in water bodies. I’ve read of several projects in Florida that are trying to eradicate hydrilla from massive water bodies.
At Harris Lake, however, one fisherman is concerned that getting rid of the hydrilla will have a negative impact on the huge bass that populate the lake. He’s trying to get the researcher to stop killing the hydrilla.
You can read the story at http://www.sripmc.org/news_popover.cfm?id=4073.
Wildlife experts, on the other hand, say that the impact of the study will be minimal and that the hydrilla will be back. At the worst, the fish may be displaced.
Hydrilla typically grows at an inch per day. In shallow lakes, it completely takes over and often shades out other species from getting sunlight. Harris Lake is pretty deep, so experts say it’s unlikely that hydrilla will completely cover the lake.
Can an invasive species be a good thing? Is there ever a time when an invasive species should be left to multiply as it pleases?
Filed under: Invasive plants, Invasive species Tagged: | environment, fishing, hydrilla, invasive species
