Invasive species thriving in B.C.: Experts say something needs to be done

While a number of ‘native’ species are struggling in a changing world, ‘invasive’ species seem to be thriving.

They are becoming such a serious problem on the Lower Mainland there are calls for a new and regional strategy to ‘seek and destroy.’

It’s not just animals and fish that are an issue (remember the elusive snakehead fish in a Burnaby pond?), plants can also be a problem.

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Japanese Knotweed quickly takes over any area, and kills off native plants and dominates stream banks.

Jeremy McClure of the Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver said the stems of the Knotweed have to be injected. He and his crew worked on a patch on Tuesday in a North Vancouver park.

“It is very tedious and labour intensive to do this kind of treatment,” he said. “We’ve been going for two months now, 40 hours a week, with a four-person crew, and it feels like our work is never ending.”

Knotweed is one of the most invasive plants in the world, and can spread vegetatively, quickly killing anything in the area.

Hogweed is also a problem in Metro Vancouver.

For more information, visit the Invasive Plant Council of Metro Vancouver’s website.