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The Rhodesia Herald, 29 January 1968
The Minister of Health, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Ian McLean, confirmed at the week-end that the snail-eating “Limpopo sardine” could be the breakthrough in the fight against bilharzia.
He said he was satisfied the fish could be useful in eliminating bilharzia snails when used in conjuction with chemicals.
Last week Mr. Frank Junor (37), a fisheries research officer at Lake Kyle, said that wherever he had introduced the fish the snail population had been exterminated.
Mr MeLoan said in an interview: “It has been established that this fish has great possibilities as a biological control factor in the lowveld areas. Unfortunately, it has also been established so far that it falls prey to a number of predatory flies in the highveld areas,”
The Blair Research Laboratory in Salisbury, the highveld bilharzia research laboratory, is carrying out experiments to try to overcome this difficulty, he said.
The programme is being worked in conjunction with the fisheries research section of the Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management, the Ministry employing Mr Junor.
Online Reporter