Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo releases weevil species to tackle invasive floating alien water weed Hartbeespoort Dam, 17 Mar
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, Sello Seitlholo, will on Monday, 17 March 2025, join Rhodes University’s Centre for Biological Control (CBC) at the Hartbeespoort Dam, in the Madibeng Municipality, to officially release the Salvinia weevil insect, a biological control agent known as Cyrtobagous salviniae, to manage the Salvinia minima, an invasive floating alien aquatic weed, otherwise known as the common salvinia, currently plaguing the dam.
The Deputy Minister will be alongside Professor Julie Coetzee, Deputy Director of the CBC and Principal Scientist at the NRF South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.
The weevil species is a subaquatic herbivorous insect that feeds on the invasive aquatic plant, the common salvinia.
The invasive alien plant said to be from South America was first recorded at Hartbeespoort Dam in 2011, and has since spread through areas of the North West and Gauteng provinces, and has reached the Limpopo River, which marks the border with our neighbour Botswana, threatening South Africa’s water bodies.
The weevil is an effective classical biological control agent used in several countries.
CBS is one of many research laboratories that dedicated several years to testing a biological control agent Cyrtobagous salviniae (Florida biotype) and was granted approval for release of the insect late in 2024.
The CBC, in collaboration with community partners, will rear the weevil and facilitate releases at various sites across the country where water is invaded by the common salvinia. Additionally, this biological control programme will be monitored and the progress of the weevil and its impact on common salvinia will be noted.
Members of the media are invited as follows:
Date: Monday, 17 March 2025
Venue: Mogi Adventures, located next to the Crocodile River
Time: 10:00
For media confirmations, contact Sinethemba Madolo on 063 501 0223/ MadoloS@dws.gov.za
For more information, contact:
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
Departmental Spokesperson
#GovZAUpdates
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
