The onslaught of the red palm weevil, a beetle that destroys palm trees, has prompted the Environmental Health Directorate to issue guidelines to fishermen about their use of palm fronds in traditional fishing methods for lampuki, the dolphin fish.

The weevil is a pest species which originates from tropical Asia. Its larvae excavate holes up to a metre long in the trunk of palm trees, killing the host plant.

Seeing as it is commonplace in August for fishermen to cut palm fronds for making traditional fishing floats, used to fish for lampuki, the directorate said preventive treatments should be used, such as insecticide and wood filling application.

It added that fronds should be cut as short as possible to minimise infective areas, generally concentrated at their base. After cutting, the base should be sealed with an appropriate pruning sealant.

The palm trees themselves then have to be sprayed with insecticide, which should be repeated three times over.

The directorate also recommended that fishermen collect palm fronds from a common site where cutting is controlled, such as Environmental Landscape Consortium premises in Attard and the approved Afforestation Section site in Gozo.

It added that the Canary Palm was one of the most susceptible palm tree species found locally, and rigorous precautions had to be taken to protect it.