Battle is won but the war is not over

TREATMENT of the most notorious invasive species in the area has finished for the season but the battle will continue.

Director of Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust director Bob Laughton oversees the programme to eradicate hogweed from the area confirmed it has been difficult this year.

He said: "Good progress has again been made despite warm and wet conditions which are ideal growth conditions but for less so for the application of herbicide! Treatment is a combination of spraying round-up and cutting down flowering plants. It was completed by a wide mix of fishery trust and Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) staff, combined with help from numerous volunteers and community groups."

"There is no short term solution to control with each giant plant producing many thousands of seeds which can last within the soil for more than seven years so long term strategies need to be developed."

This year's control was supported with funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage managed through the SISI.

Local sections completed included Findhor Daltulich Bridge to Waterford and the Mosset Burn from Rafford/Altyre to Findhorn Bay.

Findhorn-based conservation charity Wild Things! Wild Things continued their control programme around Waterford. Contractors were also used in some areas where infestations were particularly dense, while proprietors and farmers undertook control in many areas.

Mr Laughton said: "Our approach has been to start at the upper end of the infestation along a river and work steadily downstream. This has worked well but there are still many heavily infested areas in the lower reaches of the Findhorn, Muckle and Lossie which will take several more years to tackle.

"Although some sections have been treated for seven years and occasional giant hogweed plant still appears and if missed can quickly re-seed. Giant hogweed is not limited to riverbanks and our surveys have turned up isolated pockets on disused and uncultivated land, in people's gardens and elsewhere. We try to include these within our control programme since the seeds can easily spread leading to a bigger problem."

Giant Hogweed is also present along the roads and railways - near Brodie, Forres and Elgin it is particularly dense as the passage of trains spreads the seeds.

Mr Laughton said: "Some control has been completed but much more is needed to reduce the density of the plants. This is particularly important in areas where the giant hogweed seeds from plants near the railway bridges will re-infest areas of treated river, hampering our progress."

Network rail are responsible for the local lines.

A spokesperson said: "The maintenance team for this area regularly inspect and treat the lineside hogweed here and will continue to do so throughout the growing season.

"Because of the pervasiveness of hogweed between Forres and Dyce, we have increased the numbers of maintenance staff based in Inverness who are specifically trained to carry out treatment and removal of the plant. A further six staff are due to be trained this year, bringing the total number of trained staff in this team to 13.

"The area's section manager liaises closely with neighbouring landowners and the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust, supporting them to safely treat and manage the hogweed that borders their land alongside the treatment we carry out ourselves."

He added: "Staff working on the Aberdeen to Inverness improvement project have also removed and treated hogweed when they have encountered the plant. Any new growth sites reported by our inspectors and engineers, or by the public, will be added to the maintenance register for inspection and treatment."

Report any instances of hogweed growth or sighting to Network Rail’s 24-hour national helpline on 03457 114141.