[Peter Rawlinson]

I have seen a lot of giant hogweed on the banks of the Kemnay waters this year .  I have been snagged up a few times  when I did not realise one was behind me .

Is everyone aware of the dangers that this plant can cause ?

I only realised recently how toxic these plants are after a discussion .  Anglers must be careful , especially when snagged with one of these .

[allabootthetroot]

Horrible stuff

there was a picture posted the other week on the ness fishery board facebook page, Some fella took his daughter with him on a fishing trip and she had been touching it and come out in huge water blisters. Nasty stuff and it certainly puts me off fishing some Don beats.

[Alan Davidson]

When I was a young lad up in Macduff, me and my mates used to explore a small island up from the distillery. It was full of Hogweed or Keeks as we called them. When they were growing and in the green stage we used to chop them down with our knives and they were full of juice which burns your skin. One of my mates ended up with blisters all over his hands and my arms came out in a dark rash. My mum took me to Banff doctor and after 5 minutes examining me he asked if we ever went anywhere where there were Keeks. Oh aye I replied, we chop them down. So he said that's the culprit and never to go near them again as he had heard of some cases which people had been seriously ill with these things. I hadn't seen one for years until I saw a few just outside Hatton Of Fintray at the roadside. Hope I haven't bored anyone but just wanted to share my first hand experience of this stuff.

[Doug]

If you get the sap on your skin, wash it off immediately and cover the affected area from direct sunlight then seek medical attention of required.

It's worth offering any assistance in controlling these plants (plus knotweed/balsam etc) to the beat owner/manager/bailiff/trust early in the season I suppose.

[Peter Rawlinson]

Nasty plant indeed .  Any comments on this statement which I just came across when googling .........

“It is an offence to plant or cause hogweed to grow, in the wild, and it’s possible to claim for your injury if it is found that the land owner or local authority has failed to take appropriate action to protect you.”

[Alan Davidson]

If you Google Giant Hogweed injuries and then go into images you can see some of the horrific injuries this stuff can cause.

[Doug]

I am of the opinion that rural funding (SFP, or SRDP etc.) should be sanctioned if landowners harbour these plants with no active management plan in place.

However it's very unfair if a riparian owner controls invasives but the upstream landowner doesn't bother.

I think the Don team are working their way downstream. A few years ago EnviroCentre, the company I work for, surveyed the CNPA don habitats and didn't find any.

Kemnay/Fetternear is bad for G.Hogweed. It's a serious issue. If it was mapped throughout the don catchment, it would be shocking and a bit embarrasing for some I think.

If people pay for a days fishing and they are constrained by hogweed, I think they are within their rights to request a refund, thus forcing riparian managers to make the economic decision to remove these plants.

[Derek Roxborough]

Evidently the effects of exposure to the juice can be felt for years after making some people susceptible to sun damage for  a long time after, easgach 1

[flyloon]

Mite be worth me wear some neoprene fishing gloves just incase i get my line tangled in it as don river bank on council waters very over grown and easy to get tangled if fishing from bank 

[Rob Brownfield]

When I moved to Scotland we bought a house in Auchenblae that had an overgrown orchard up the hill to the side.

As I cut the stuff down it was falling across my shoulders and back and soaked into my t-shirt leaving the most amazing brown stains on my skin. This is caused by melanin that is produced to try and protect the skin cells. The sap is really nasty stuff and bonds with the DNA in your skin cells, in some cases, killing them and causing permanent scars.

Its a "phototoxic" plant, meaning that if you get sap on your skin and it is exposed to sunlight or UV rays it's effect is accelerated and magnified.

All in all, I am surprised that it is not tackled by the local authorities as especially around Kemnay, there are schools and kids out playing on the river all the time.

[Rob Brownfield]

Worth adding a photo so we know what to look for:

Flowing stage:


Leaves:


Common Names:
Hemlock
Cow Parsley
Cartwheel Flower
Hogsbane
Wild Rhubarb

[Liam Stephen]

They're over my head in some places I fish! I never realised they were harmful 

Liam

[Mark Zhang]

Thanks for the information. I've never noticed this is a harmful plant. Sometimes, I just stand on the plant to destroy it, but never use my hand (lucky man ). I think I need to keep doing this to destroy them all. Thanks again.