War against giant hogweed invaders would last for 20 years

print this

By Jussi Konttinen
     
      “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is a completely reasonable request, for all that it has been adopted and adapted by the immigration-critical members of the True Finns as an election slogan, but for some reason the giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzium) has decided flatly to ignore this old wisdom.
      Finland’s best-known harmful invasive plant species runs riot around the country’s villages, by the roadsides, and in people’s yards. It overtakes the living space of many domestic varieties and even poses a threat to people’s health: its sap can cause symptoms similar to burns.
     
The story of the giant hogweed is a textbook case of thoughtlessness.
      The Finns themselves introduced the giant hogweed to the country as an ornamental plant in the 1970s. Admittedly the plant, growing up to four metres in height and with white flowers on it, is imposing to look at, but its spread has got way out of hand.
      Fortunately plans have now been laid to put a stop to this garden-variety impudence.
      Just before the Parliamentary elections, a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry working group announced the national invasive species strategy.
      The working group wanted this to be part of the government programme. In the present immigration-critical political landscape this should be a complete no-brainer.
     
The core point of the strategy is that the giant hogweed is to be eradicated from the country completely.
      According to estimates, there are already 10,000 giant hogweed populations in Finland, the largest of which are more than a hectare in size.
      Can an enemy this overwhelming be subdued?
      In the working group’s view, yes, but the effort calls for perseverance.
      The battle against the giant hogweed will be a long war of attrition, lasting up to 20 years.
     
A model for the control measures already exists, as, for example, in an ongoing undertaking in the province of Finland Proper already around 300 giant hogweed populations have been successfully reduced in size.
      The measures have to be carried out systematically. In the working group’s model, the strategic work would be led by a national invasive species committee. The operative measures, on the other hand, would be the responsibility of regional responsible authorities, such as the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY).
      Initially, certain legislative changes would be required.
      The pampering and molly-coddling has to stop.
      The giant hogweed honestly has to be declared an outlaw.
      Until now some “flowery-hatted landowners” have been able to disallow the destruction of the harmful plant on their land.
     
Another problem concerns reconnaissance measures.
      The government patrols cannot possibly locate every single giant hogweed population in the country.
      For this task the entire nation’s labour input is needed.
      The working group would set up a specific foreign species portal, where people could report their findings.
      To prevent false whistle-blowing, emphasis should be laid on identification of species, so that the Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris), which is native to Finland, will not be needlessly lynched in the struggle to root out the foreign invader.
     
The enemy has to be destroyed everywhere where it is encountered.
      Smaller populations the citizens themselves can dispose of. This means shovel work, for to kill the giant hogweed it has to be uprooted.
      Another useful method is to cover the plant with a black tarpaulin for two or three years.
      Larger enemy troops have to be attacked by using chemical weapons. For this job, professionals are needed, with the appropriate protective gear.
      An effective herbicide is glyphosate, which is absorbed by the leaves and travels to the roots.
     
But even if the giant hogweed did appear to be abating, this does not yet mean that the war is over.
      The giant hogweed is a resilient critter, the seeds of which can remain germinatable for up to ten years.
      Every destroyed population thus has to be monitored with a vigilant eye for quite some time afterwards.
      Furthermore, it has to be ensured that no more harmful seeds will enter into Finland from abroad.
      Sosnowsky's Hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) is another cunning foe that is lurking just outside Finland’s eastern border. It has already been detected in the province of North Karelia.
     
The working group calls for the principle of forethought, according to which all the foreign plant species seeking entry into Finland have to be treated with suspicion.
      Naturally honest, hardworking alien species will be welcome in the future hogweed-free Finland as well.
      Species such as the potato, which has played a pivotal role in the diet of the Finns already for a couple of hundred years.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 1.5.2011


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Combating harmful alien invasive species calls for tougher measures (15.2.2011)

Links:
  Giant Hogweed (Wikipedia)
  Wild Angelica (Wikipedia)
  Global Invasive Species Database: Finland

JUSSI KONTTINEN / Helsingin Sanomat
jussi.konttinen@hs.fi