Aquatic plant black list: myths and truths

There has been a lot of discussions lately around the so called plant black list but I have just reconfirmed with the Department of Agriculture that issues import permits that the list they provide with each permit is not a blacklist but actually an import prohibited list.

How do they get to conclusion that a certain plant should not be imported? They take the list of plants that you have applied for and they do what they call a “weed risk assessmentâ€. This assessment is based on studies done overseas (mostly tropics) on the invasiveness of these plants.

This exercise is mostly a waste of time as most of the plants on this list is actually being grown in aquaculture farms locally.

When asked about the so called black list of aquatic plants I was told that it is upto each provice to do their own one and at the moment the only aquatic plants 100% illegal are the ones listed on the fish black list:

Azolla Spp Azolla
Egeria Densa Pond Weed
Myrophyllum Aquaticum Parrots Feather
Salvinia Molesta Kariba Weed
Pistia Stratiotes Water Lettuce
Eichornia Crassipes Water Hyacinth

…. And now we know….