‘Invader’ poses new river threat

ANGLING

HAS the extra water saved our fishing on the River Trent? After the devastating pollution that left the river almost fishless, the emergence of a weed called floating pennywort could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Senior Environment Agency environmental monitoring officer David Ottewell said: “We have found a plant called floating pennywort (hydrocotyle ranunculoides) for the first time on the upper Trent in Burton at Newton Road playing fields.

“This plant is extremely invasive and represents a major threat to biodiversity, recreation and flood risk management. It is extremely difficult to control if not caught quickly.

“I cannot stress strongly enough how much you do not want this plant on your fishing waters. It is certainly easily capable of ending your ability to fish certain waters.

“Unfortunately, it is spreading fast across the UK, but in this area we may have an opportunity to stop it before it gets fully established.” The extra water may have pushed the plant further downstream or, in the floods, pushed it into the fields where it will almost certainly die.

However, samples have been found further upstream and there is every chance that some fragments could end up in our back yard.

It could still be evident in the river along the Newton Road stretch when it returns to its normal level and it will be up to anglers and all other users to find it out, wherever it may be.

Local fishing clubs, Burton Canoe Club and the East Staffordshire Borough Council have already been informed of the dangers and the potential of this weed.

All anglers should be aware of the dangers this weed possesses and that it can be transferred by keep nets.

Check any tackle when you finish and if you should find any, place it on the banks well away from the water and inform the Environment Agency.

The most important thing is not to transfer it to other waters.

Anglers should look for it emergent or floating on the surface of still or slowly moving freshwater.

The characteristic leaves and growth form help to make this plant easy to identify.

It is found mostly in the southeast of England and occasionally in the north-west of England and Wales. It is spreading very rapidly.

It was first naturalised in 1990 as a result of discarded plants from garden ponds.

It can grow up to 20cm (8ins) per day and may quickly dominate a water body, forming thick mats and impeding water flow and amenity use, even on a river the size of the Trent.

And it may out-grow native species by blocking out light, causing deoxygenation, obstructing air-breathing insects from reaching the water surface and reducing water temperature.

Floating pennywort is listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to Scotland only. As such, it is an offence to plant or otherwise cause this species to grow in the wild.

Leaves can be floating or emergent, up to 7cm (almost 3ins) in diameter.

The leaves are shiny and kidney- shaped with crinkled edges and are frequently more broad than long. It grows horizontally with fleshy stalks and fine roots.

It varies little throughout the year, although in the winter it is most likely to be found at the water’s edge.

Tiny white flowers are rare but, if present, they appear between July and August.

If you should see anything that you are not sure of, you can contact Ottewell or the Environment Agency at Fradley on 01543 404826.