The Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit(PPQ) of the Ministry of Agriculture is reminding the public to be vigilant and report all sightings of the Giant African Snail (GAS).

Head of the PPQ(ag) Diane Stoute Abraham said, “The Giant African Snail is a pest of quarantine importance to Dominica…Over the years the Ministry of Agriculture has been able to keep this pest under official control”.

She said that the snail has recently been sighted in the Bellevue Rawle area and on the compound of the Dominica State College.

She continued, “The snail itself is an excellent hitchhiker so we are informing the public to please be vigilant when accessing these areas especially persons that own private vehicles, and heavy equipment owners [and] garbage collectors. The snail has a tendency to hitchhike very easily and establish itself in new locations”.

Some of the management strategies implemented are public awareness campaigns, application of slug bait, incorporation of cultural practices and surveillance especially at nights since the pest is nocturnal.

Farmers are encouraged to contact the Division if they come into contact with the GAS. Farmers are encouraged to not handle the snail with bare hands.

Persons are encouraged to wash vegetables carefully so as to eliminate the possibility of ingesting the snail as it is very dangerous to human life. The GAS is able to continue its life cycle in the brain and cause various diseases in humans.

The GAS affects up to about 500 different plant types and so is a very dangerous pest which can affect food security and the economic viability of the agricultural industry. The GAS was first discovered in 2007 in the Northern part of the island.