New task team to tackle alien invasives

"We are in a crisis situation. There is significant fire risk, reduced water availability and massive biodiversity loss.

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Gerhard Otto, the Garden Route's disaster management chief, said: "We need to roll out block burning to achieve greater impact over the next two to three years. IAPs have already been flagged by the GRDM as one of the highest risks for the region and we need to focus on block-burning the highest risk areas."

Catastrophic fires

GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels said fynbos fires are part of the natural cycle, but IAPs create unnaturally high fuel loads that make fires catastrophic.

Dr Arne Witt, biodiversity specialist of the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (Cabi), said we are in a crisis situation. "There is significant fire risk, reduced water availability and massive biodiversity loss."

The multi-stakeholder task team includes the DFFE, the GRDM Disaster Management and Fire Services, local municipalities, CapeNature, SANParks, the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association and several NGOs and research institutions.