Posted Nov 30, 2014, 7:07 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 661
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Invasive Species
Is anything effective being done to deal with invasive species attacking Metro Vancouver? Being a port city, Vancouver is exposed to more threats. If dealt with quickly and efficiently, many of these threats can be eradicated before becoming wide spread.
Invasives that come to mind:
-Himalayan Blackberry; yes those tasty treats on prickly vines at the side of the road and along most greenbelts don't belong
-European Chafer Beetle; see all those lawns around metro van that look like a rototiller was having fun? That damage is caused be crows and other birds along with skunks digging up lawns to get to the tasty grubs under the surface. I think this has only been around for under a decade. When first discovered the Government could have hit it hard and early for a couple hundred thousand. Today its spread across Metro and is expanding. Unlikely eradication is possible now. Treatment costs are into the millions locally.
-Japanese Knotweed; the newest on this list. I think showed up a couple of years ago and is now throughout Metro. This one might give the blackberry a run.
Personally I think the feds need to step it up on this. Ports are their jurisdiction and benefit the entire country; not just the city or province.
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