Cape Town – Invasive alien species are regarded as one of the top five threats to biodiversity and scientists believe a stronger approach is needed to properly manage them.
There is currently a national Working for Water programme aimed towards reducing the spread of invasive species, but in the context of South Africa other challenges are needing to be tackled simultaneously, which could slow progress.
Director of the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University, Professor David Richardson, said: “The Working for Water programme has made progress but despite winning some battles, the problem is getting worse.
“An issue is that the efforts to manage invaders are being carried out countrywide and the main driver of these decisions, such as where to focus and which species to focus on is dependent on job creation.” Read more…
