Strategising Innovation for removing Invasive Species

Strategising Innovation for removing Invasive Species   

There are stories galore on how State agencies, and scientists, are devising innovative strategies in encouraging people to participate in the removal of invasive alien species of fishes and plants from the terrestrial landscapes and the traditional waters around the world.

United States Experience

See this story from Florida in the United States. A report posted on 19 October earlier this week, says Florida organized a massive Lionfish hunt during the annual Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Lionfish Challenge, drawing 533 enthusiastic registered participants.

Water Hyacinth Crowding Utra Pat Wetland — Kabo-kang
Na Thingjillaba Pat

At the conclusion of the competition, which ran from 22 May up to 14 September earlier this year, the participants dived into the sea to remove 36,187 invasive lionfish from Florida's state waters.The divers, logging 1,468 dive trips, broke the record catch of 30,000 lionfish in 2025.This resounds fairly similar with the observation on proliferation of the invasive alien fish species Tilapia in Manipur's traditional waters. 

Introduced for commercial farming, Tilapia (Tunghanbi) has since spread widely across the water bodies in the State.Photo Caption: Water hyacinth crowding Utra Pat wetland. 

Nile Tilapia On Sale In Imphal Market — Tunghanbi Na
Manipur Gi Pat Singda Yellaba

India Experience

Now, talk of the lantana craft in Gujarat. ATREE and LCC-MM Hills initiated an innovative lantana crafting workshop for locals living near Gir National Park in Gujarat.The initiative was taken up as an example with innovative approach in achieving the dual objective of creating livelihood opportunity for the local communities and in promoting ecological restoration.Photo Caption: Nile Tilapia on sale in the Imphal market. 

Manipur Experience

Sharing a story from Manipur's Kha-Sanjenbam village under Nambol assembly constituency, the women here have found an innovative, good use of the invasive alien aquatic plant species, water lettuce (Kangjao) which since have proved to be another nuisance aquatic plant other than the water hyacinth (Kabo-kang) in Manipur's traditional waters.The women informed that the water lettuce is a good feed for their poultry. Picked from the water the roots are first removed carefully. The leaves are then chopped into small bits, mixed with cooked rice and are fed to the poultry. As the women says, the ducks and the hen like the feed very much.So, when and if people start harvesting the invasive water lettuce left and right, its contiguous spread would be fairly checked.Photo Caption: Invasive species water lettuce, water hyacinth, alligator weed crowding Nambul River. 

Kangjao, Kabo-kang, Alligator Weed Crowding
Nambul River — Invasive Species Na Turel Thingjillaba

What is an IAS?Invasive alien species are one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss globally, contributing to species extinctions, ecosystem degradation, and significant economic and social impacts.

Food for Thought

The problem is that this short term species turnover in critical natural ecosystems can lead to tremendous changes in the ecological profile of land and wetlands ecosystems, as in Manipur which is part of the bio-sensitive Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.

[The author is a member of IUCN CEESP]

Credit: Article by Salam Rajesh, shared for public discussion on Bharat2027.

#SalamRajesh #Manipur #InvasiveSpecies #WaterHyacinth #Kangjao #KaboKang #Tilapia #Lionfish #Lantana #Environment #UkhrulNow #IUCN #Bharat2027