‘Fantastic community effort’ to clear Rocquaine coast of sour fig
A stretch of coastline has been almost completely cleared of the invasive sour fig plant.
The Guernsey Conservation Volunteers have been hard at work on a stretch of coastline near Fort Grey for more than a year, with nine volunteer work parties helped by school and corporate groups.
‘I’m not sure how many square metres we have covered,’ said GCV operations director Angela Salmon.
‘We count sour fig in terms of skips. And this will be our 35th. That’s 40 tonnes of sour fig.’
The GCV has been working to remove the invasive plant species from the island for over a decade.
The plant, which is native to South Africa, chokes local grassland species, and although its flowers can look attractive, they provide little food for native insects.
‘In South Africa it is eaten by baboons, antelope and wild tortoise,’ she said.
‘But none of our herbivores eat it, so it just spreads.’
First recorded in Guernsey in 1886, it was brought into the island as a garden plant. It was previously killed by heavy frosts, but with harsh winters now scarce the plant has spread. The species grows in a dense mat and has become a major problem in Australia, California and the Mediterranean.
But its removal from parts of Guernsey’s coastline has not been without criticism, with some arguing that removing it leaves behind dusty, muddy areas, but Ms Salmon disputes that.
‘Just look at the area that we started back in L’Eree in 2021,’ she said.
‘That is now full of native species such as thrift, sea beet, sea campion, sheep’s-bit and rock sea-spurrey. Native plants, which provide food and shelter for many insects and small mammals. Botanical surveys have shown that more than 60 native plant species can regrow on sites where sour fig has been removed.’
But the work at Rocquaine is not quite over yet. Just like at other sites, GCV work parties will continue to monitor the area, removing new shoots of sour fig wherever they spring up.
The project at Rocquaine saw more than 200 people come forward to help and received help from the Strategy for Nature Fund.
‘I would like to thank everyone who has been involved with this project – it’s been a fantastic community effort,’ said Ms Salmon.
‘The habitat is already recovering and the biodiversity is increasing which is wonderful to see.’
For more information about GCV visit www.gcv.org.uk.
