Related Stories

• Invincible Spirit leads the way in David O’Meara week 23 onslaught
  
  
• Trainer David O’Meara in 7th heaven
  
  
• G Force raises the bar at York for trainer David O’Meara
  
  
• 10 winners combined for Avondhu UK-based locals
  
  
• Shutthefrontdoor crowns brilliant season for O’Neill and Jackdaws
  
  
• Ellen’s Week – Rote-ation
  
  
• Jockey Maurice Linehan records a treble during Week 16
  
  
• Ellen’s Week | Doggone it!
  
  
• Eduard emulates Monet’s Garden under jockey Brian Harding
  
  
• Ellen’s Week | Giving and receiving
  
  
• Jonjo O’Neill’s Holywell panning for gold
  
  
• Ellen’s Week | ALL EARS
  
  

Plants, like this Giant Hogweed, now well established along the banks of the River Bride.

Invaders? No, not little green men from outer space, but plants such as the Giant Hogweed, now well established along the banks of the River Bride, Zebra Mussels in our lakes and Japanese Knotweed now growing in profusion in our countryside.

These and many more are classed as being invasive species; they are defined by scientists as being plants or animals which cause unacceptable damage after being spread by humans, either by mistake or on purpose, outside the areas where they naturally evolved. 

A new booklet by Theo Pike titled The Pocket Guide to Balsam Bashing, published by Merlin Unwin Books gives us some invaluable information about these species which are doing so much damage to our environment here in Ireland but also in the U.K. 

Our own native plants and animals are those which colonised our island at the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago, studies have shown that we are now under threat from as many as 2,000 different invasive species from the furthest corners of the earth. There can hardly be a person who uses our rivers who has not had an experience with one of the most aggressive of these species, the Mink.

Introduced to Europe from the U.S. for fur farming to the U.K in the 1920s, the first recorded escape of breeding Mink took place near Blackpool in 1956, with the drop in popularity of the fashion of wearing fur, the Mink became a liability, and were deliberately  released into the wild. Mink do not have any natural enemies, and, as many a fisherman will testify, they have no fear of man, one evening while fishing from the high bank at Templenoe on the Blackwater, a young Mink followed me along the bank, undeterred by the sticks and stone which I threw at him. 

A friend of mine who farms at Templenoe told me that one night the whole family were awakened by a terrible noise from their henhouse, on investigation he found a Mink slaughtering his chickens with a bloodlust that defied description. One blast from a shotgun finished the Mink, my friend is convinced that his chickens were killed out of pure bloodlust; he has never kept chickens since.

Mink do not seem to recognise any boundaries, in a very well documented incident some years ago; one came out of the river and in broad daylight sauntered along Pearse Square in Fermoy ignoring the butchers shop, and ran into the drapers shop, scattering customers and staff. After inspecting the Men’s Department, and not seeing anything to his liking, the Mink calmly went back to the river.

There is another incident which took place on The Rats Island on Barnane Walk, of a hungry Mink who climbed to the top of the tallest tree on the island in pursuit of a Heron who was perched in his usual spot surveying the river. When the Mink, reached the Heron, he was met with one blow from a powerful wing that sent him tumbling through the branches into the water below, he came to the surface looking somewhat bedraggled, while the Heron with a triumphant squawk flew off upriver.    

Probably the best known of our invasive species is the Giant Hogweed, which seems to have established itself along the banks of the River Bride, this species is native to the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. It was much prized by Victorian plant collectors, it is estimated to be Europe’s tallest herbaceous plant, it can grow up to 5m tall, and its dense colonies shade out other plant species.

Giant Hogweed should be treated with the utmost respect as it presents a serious public health risk, just brushing against its bristly leaves or stems can result in blisters and third degree burns, these burns can return with every exposure to the sun, so the lesson here is, keep well away from it.

In his very informative little book, Theo Pike sheds light on the many invasive species which now threaten our environment and the best way to go about eliminating them, he also includes information on the organisations which can help, including; Invasive Species Ireland, who can be found at; www.invasivespeciesireland.com Be careful out there.

blog comments powered by Disqus