Guernsey Conservation Volunteers remove 25 tonnes of invasive sour fig

Guernsey Conservation Volunteers described the removal of 25 tonnes of the plant since 2023 as a "fantastic milestone"

About 25 tonnes of an invasive plant has been removed from Guernsey's coastline, a conservation charity has said.

Guernsey Conservation Volunteers (GCV) said the sour fig, which is from South Africa, has been removed from the coastal area at Rocquaine.

It described the removal of 25 tonnes of the plant since 2023 as a "fantastic milestone".

The species was first introduced to the island in the 1950s.

Increase biodiversity

Sour fig outcompetes native species by forming a dense mat as it spreads across coastal grassland, GCV said.

Angela Salmon, the charity's operations director, said biodiversity in the area would increase now it had been removed.

"Wherever sour fig is removed, it allows native plants to regrow from the existing seeds already in the ground," she said.

"A variety of native coastal plants will grow and provide food and shelter for insects and small mammals."

It said new funding would enable the entire area along Rocquaine to be free from sour fig by the end of the year.