Why is it necessary to remove harvested weeds from the water?

The necessity of removing harvested weeds from the water is primarily focused on preventing oxygen depletion and mitigating the risk of fish kills. When aquatic weeds are left to decay in the water, their decomposition consumes significant amounts of dissolved oxygen. This reduction in oxygen levels can lead to hypoxic conditions, which are harmful or even fatal to fish and other aquatic organisms.

Healthy oxygen levels are crucial for maintaining balanced aquatic ecosystems. Fish and other aquatic creatures rely on oxygen for survival; therefore, ensuring that oxygen levels remain stable is key to protecting these populations. Harvesting and removing the weeds helps to maintain this balance by preventing the excess organic material from contributing to oxygen depletion, thereby promoting a healthier aquatic environment.

While enhancing the appearance of the water body may be a benefit of removing weeds, it is not the primary ecological reason for doing so. Similarly, while preventing contamination of ecosystems and facilitating faster regrowth of desirable aquatic plants may have their importance, the most pressing concern in this context is to maintain adequate oxygen levels to support aquatic life.