Starving weevils bring canal clean-up rethink

WATERWAYS workers yesterday launched a second attempt to clean up a South Yorkshire canal after their first effort, which aimed to use weed-eating weevils, had to be abandoned.

British Waterways had planned to release the tiny organisms into the Dearne and Dove canal in Swinton, near Rotherham, after reports that it was clogged with an invasive fern-like weed.

But when officers arrived last week, they found that they were not faced with the South American Azolla plant but a carpet of duckweed, which the weevils would have been unable to digest.

They then had to launch an urgent transfer operation to release the creatures into an Azolla-affected canal in Huddersfield before they died and then redraw their plans for Swinton.

British Waterways staff yesterday joined forces with workers from Rotherham Council and actually got onto the water themselves in a boat in a bid to sweep away some of the weed.

Local councillor Ken Wyatt also took to the water to help with the clean-up, and said: “This area of the canal is a central feature in the regeneration of this particular part of Swinton.

“So we are delighted that British Waterways has agreed to a clean-up of the actual water, which, unfortunately, has both a weed and a litter problem.

“This exercise will hopefully not only make the area look better but will also improve the water quality for fishermen.”

British Waterways said that over the last couple of years, the Swinton canal had seen more than 120,000 of improvements including a resurfaced towpath and the installation of nine new angling pegs.

The environment manager for British Waterways, Jonathan Hart-Woods, said: “We are determined to make a real difference and ensure a more effective approach to the management of these plants, despite the difficulties of effectively controlling the spread.

“This is becoming a big issue for the waterways and one that we can’t afford to be complacent with.

“The allocation of already stretched resources has been essential for its success and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting the ecology of the waterways.

“There’s a danger that these weeds will take over completely, so we’re taking these measures as a pre-emptive strike in getting rid of this weed. It is very difficult to contain the spread, but we’re hoping that this clean-up effort will be effective.”

Last year, British Waterways had to spend more than 400,000 on clearing all species of aquatic weed from the 2,200 mile-network of canals, rivers, reservoirs and lakes that it oversees.