African Killer Weeds - Water Hyacinths Decimate Fisheries

In Kayago, Uganda, a killer weed has returned, decimating fishing grounds and clogging waterways.  The weed, also known as the water hyacinth, is a beautiful lavender flowering menace, which doubles in mass every two weeks and deprives organisms living in the water of life-sustaining oxygen.

A few years ago, scientists fought the deadly weed by introducing tiny weevils called “snout beetles”, into the water to feed on the plant. The beetles only eat the hyacinths, so they are no danger to other aquatic plants in the area. This time, a “prolonged drought” will hinder this method of controlling the hyacinth.