The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity » NEWSROOM

Newsroom » NEMBA Alien Invasive Species maps

The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) has been contracted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to facilitate the demarcation of areas where restricted activities linked to certain alien and invasive fish species will be allowed to continue. Once completed these maps will be handed to SANBI and then the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism or DEAT (now Department of Water and Environmental Affairs or DWEA) for public comment. The maps are being developed for the regulations controlling list 3 and category 2 (managed by area) alien and invasive species as part of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA). There are some alien and invasive species that do not form part of this process. They have been listed elsewhere in the regulations as either requiring compulsory control (1a) or requiring a control programme (1b).

Below we will show preliminary maps and datasets that are being discussed based on the principles and criteria summarised in the following PDF document:

Principles and criteria 30 Sept 2009.pdf

Please visit this site for updates. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact Ernst Swartz.

Colour codes:

Light green = rivers and dams

Dark green = dams only

Brown = rivers only

Orange = risk assessment required/more information needed

Red = prohibited

Dark blue = contested/more information needed

Light blue = indigenous/risk assessment required

Pink = aquaculture facilities

White = mapping in progress

National maps:

	*Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)* Several important public dams are also included (in progress).
	*Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)* Important national public dams are included (in progress), but Largemouth Bass that is less invasive will be used in smaller dams as an alternative.
	*Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)* Several important public dams are also included (in progress).
	*Grass Carp sterile (Ctenopharyngodon idella* triploid)** Used in biological control of aquatic weeds.
	*Grass Carp fertile (Ctenopharyngodon idella* diploid)** Only approved aquaculture facilities will be allowed to have fertile individuals to produce sterile fish.
	*Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)* Several important public dams are also included (in progress). More detailed provincial layers are being prepared for Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (areas shown in white).
	*Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)* Several important public dams are also included (in progress). More detailed provincial layers are being prepared for Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (areas shown in white).
	*Sharptooth Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)* Several important public dams (mainly in its indigenous area) are also included (in progress).
	*Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).* Several important public dams in its indigenous area are also included (in progress).
	*Nile Tilapia and hybrids (Oreochromis niloticus)* Only approved aquaculture facilities (no rivers or dams).
	*Smallmouth Yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus)* Several important public dams (mainly in its indigenous area) are also included (in progress).
	*Clanwilliam Yellowfish (Labeobarbus capensis)* Several important public dams (only indigenous area) are also included (in progress).
	*Clanwilliam Sawfin (Barbus serra)* Several important public dams (only indigenous area) are also included (in progress).

You can download provincial maps for the NEMBA alien fish regulations here. We did not list maps for provinces where list 3 category 2 species are entirely prohibited.