Invasive Fish Species Gives South African Community Some Food Relief

 The Groenvlei Lake, in South Africa, is full of gleaming carps. The fish were introduced in the 1800s and have proliferated so much that they threaten the lake’s ecosystem. So park managers like Thulani Ndlovu, an employee at CapeNature, are trying to curb numbers of the invasive species. “We eradicate common carp, for the benefit of biodiversity here in Groenvlei, we donate it to our local communities.” The carps used to be turned into fertilizer. Now the fish help feeding the locals in Sedgefield, the closest town that heavily relies on tourism. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the industry has collapsed overnight. The Groenvlei carps feed around 250 people a day. Mario Ferreira works with Gift of The Givers, a charity that organises distribution. From an environmental endeavour, the eradication of the Groenvlei carps has become a much-needed social project.

SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS