KZN conservation authority institutes ban on firewood in protected areas

IN an effort to halt the spread of a beetle threatening indigenous trees, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has urged holidaymakers to refrain from bringing firewood into its reserves, but rather opt for charcoal.

“The polyphagous shot hole borer [PSHB] is about the size of a sesame seed, native to southeast Asia, and recently started invading South Africa” said Ezemvelo acting CEO Sihle Mkhize.

“The beetles create branching, breeding and feeding galleries in trees lined with a layer of spores of the co-introduced alien species of fungus they carry.

“This fungus, which they feed on, is left inside the tree’s circulatory system, which blocks nutrients and water from reaching parts of the tree, leading to branch dieback and the tree’s death.”

Mkhize said the beetles are spread mainly by the movement of wood from infested trees, often in the form of firewood.

“The beetles have spread to numerous locations across the country. No chemical products are registered for treatment against PSHB in South Africa, which makes this a serious threat to biodiversity and food security.

“After much consideration of the high risk, we have decided to implement a ban on visitors bringing firewood into any of our reserves,” he continued.

“Visitors can still purchase firewood from our curio shops that have been safely sourced from PSHB-free areas, or to use charcoal,” he said.

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