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Harties hyacinth explosion killing fish, tourism, livelihoods
Concerns over the strong comeback of the invasive hyacinth plant at Harties
Invasive Hyacinth plant at Hartbeespoort Dam on Saturday, 19 March 2022. Supplied Photo: Kormorant
Businesses in and around Hartbeespoort dam in the North West province have once again raised concerns over the aggressive hyacinth plant, after recent heavy rains led to an explosion of the plants growing in the dam.
The dam considered to be one of the biggest tourist attractions of the province, has for the longest time been covered with the green hyacinth plant, affecting among water activities and wildlife in the dam.
ALSO READ: Ridding Hartbeespoort Dam of hyacinths ‘highly unlikely’, new study reveals
Speaking to The Citizen, Deon Mostert from the Harties Boat Company said the hyacinth plant is killing tourism in Harties.
Tourism industry taking a beating
“We have the potential to be a great breakaway for all South Africans, especially in these economic times where some cannot afford to go to Durban or the Cape, but empty promises from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have left us stranded.
“During the recent Easter weekend, we had around 50% of tourists which has a devastating effect on us as we traditionally depend on the long weekends to generate revenue to see us through the winter months.
“We have been talking to the department for months and we did form a dam management committee which started out great and positive but they just stopped communicating with us, a concerned Mostert said.
Watch this report by Carte Blanche, on the situation:
Department’s cruel ‘joke’
Mostert say they were told about a new budget of R25 million by the department which was set to kick in on April 1 but they are yet to see any work happening around the dam.
“This now seems to have been another April fool’s joke and they promised to restart the successful Metsi A Me program started by Peet Venter of water and sanitation years ago, which they stopped but now it seems like more hot air,” Mostert said.
Business owner Casper Kruger, who is also from Optimum Fisheries and Research, says the hyacinth plant has been there from as far back as the late 70s.
Kruger says the dam was at some stage covered with 60% of the plant before the conservation and water sector decided to started cleaning it with chemicals, but the seeds remained.
“We also lose a lot of fish because of the hyacinth that covers 50% of the dam, which means if 1 100 hectares of the dam has no sun or oxygen, everything underneath the hyacinth will die.
“I can clean the dam with the experience that I and others have but we need big money and speed and we cannot carry on like we have been, taking out a few loads because it grows faster and the bugs that they have been using does not work efficiently because whatever hyacinth that is left after the winter, it will triple come next summer,” said Kruger.
He says the best time to start cleaning the dam again will be during the coming winter season, a time when the plant does not really grow.
The Metsi A Me project of which Rand Water was implemented as implementing agency in 2006, was cancelled a few years later.
Service provider appointed to deal with problem
Spokesperson for the DWS Wisane Mavasa could not say how much has been spent on the project in question.
According to Mavasa, the recent strong ‘comeback’ of the hyacinth plant was as a result of the heavy rains that were experienced in different parts of the country this past summer season.
ALSO READ: Full river systems, heavy rain and La Niña hold potential for ‘disaster’
She said the DWS has recently appointed Magalies Water as an implementing agent for a period of three years, to deal with the problem of hyacinths and algae infesting the dam.
“The entity is expected to develop a resource management and remediation plan to address the poor water quality in the upstream catchment of the dam which leads to the pollution as well as to minimize and control the algae and hyacinths that compromise the quality of water and the use of the dam.
“The Metsi a me programme is being readapted and adjusted to refocus also in the upstream of the catchment, which is contributing to the eutrophication of the dam,” said Mavasa.
She said Magalies Water is expected to develop a short-term intervention plan to deal with the Hyacinths removal, review the algae management strategy, and develop a catchment management plan to address the receiving of water into the dam.
“This implementation is expected to start soon as mid- May and will incorporate the Biological Control Programme,” Mavasa added.
Meanwhile the DWS has called for public comments on the draft regulations on access and use of government waterworks (state dams) and surrounding state-owned land for recreational purposes.
The DWS will be conducting extensive public consultations on these draft regulations in all nine provinces across the country.
The purpose of the national consultations is to solicit inputs from various stakeholders and members of the public who have interests in accessing and using the departmental infrastructures for recreational purposes.
Details on physical provincial consultations will be communicated in due course.
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