Member Article

The Demise of Japanese Knotweed at Loch Awe

Edinburgh-based weed control experts, Invasive Weeds Agency Ltd (IWA), have secured a prestigious contract to rid the banks of Loch Awe from the scourge of Japanese knotweed. This non-native invasive weed spreads rapidly and dominates native plant species and is known to thrive beside watercourses. Japanese knotweed spreads easily by rhizomes (underground creeping stems) and is known to cause damage to structures such as walls and pavements. The presence of this weed will devalue land, often making it impossible to sell the land until it is eradicated by professionals.

The Argyll Fisheries Trust awarded IWA the contract as part of the CIRB project (Controlling invasive priority non-native species and restoring native biodiversity). The project is funded by INTERREG IVA and is being undertaken by a partnership of Queens University Belfast, the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland, University of Ulster and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

IWA tendered for the the work and were awarded the contract based on several key factors including; method, experience, references and price. Graham Rudd, IWA’s business manager commented, “We strongly believe that weed control can be achieved on a large scale for a fair price. By winning a contracts for this project in 2011 and 2012, we feel that we are offering a great service at a excellent price. There aren’t many other weed control companies doing the same thing!”.

Support for the project in the local community has been excellent because the restoration of native biodiversity will benefit the brown trout population in Loch Awe, an asset that has been vital to the local economy for decades. By eliminating Japanese knotweed from the area, the value of land in the area should be restored.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Graham Rudd .