CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY

Transcription

1 CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY SERVING THE CARIBBEAN SINCE 1963 CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY 45 Forty Fifth Annual Meeting 2009 Frigate Bay Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis Vol. XLV Number 1 T-STAR Invasive Species Symposium

2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 45 th ANNUAL MEETING Caribbean Food Crops Society 45 th Annual Meeting July 12-17, 2009 St. Kitts Marriott & Royal Beach Casino Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis "Reality and Potential of Food Security and Agricultural Diversification in Small Island Developing States" "Realidad y Potencial de la Seguridad Alimentaria y la Diversificaciôn Agricola en Pequenos Estados Insulares en Desarollo" "Sécurité alimentaire et diversification agricole dans les petits états insulaires en développement: réalisations et perspectives". United States Department of Agriculture, T-STAR Sponsored Invasive Species Symposium INVASIVE SPECIES SAFEGUARDING: IMPERATIVE FOR CARIBBEAN REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION AND FOOD SECURITY Special Symposium Edition Edited by Waldemar Klassen, Carlton G. Davis, Edward A. Evans, Sikavas Na-Lampang and Wanda Lugo Published by the Caribbean Food Crops Society Caribbean Food Crops Society, 2009 i

3 Published by the Caribbean Food Crops Society Caribbean Food Crops Society, 2009 ISSN Copies of this publication may be obtained from: Secretariat, CFCS P.O. Box San Juan, Puerto Rico Mention of company and trade names does not imply endorsement by the Caribbean Food Crops Society. The Caribbean Food Crops Society is not responsible for statements and opinions advanced in this meeting or printed in its proceedings; they represent the views of the individuals to whom they are credited and are not binding on the Society as a whole. 11

4 Proceedings of the Caribbean Food Crops Society. 45(1): SESSION 3: EMERGING INVASIVE SPECIES AND PATHWAYS OF THEIR INTRODUCTION REPORT ON THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL Mr. Michael James 1 and Ian H. Gibbs 2 1 Senior Agricultural Officer, Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Barbados. Phone: ; Fax: spoontoe(a),yahoo, com; pathology mar@caribsurf, com 2 Entomologist, Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Barbados. Phone: (246J /5104/5106; FAX: (246J ; ianhgibbscà)yahoo.com INTRODUCTION The giant African land snail, Achatina fulica, is both a threat to agriculture and to human health (carrier of the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which may cause meningitis in humans). The giant African snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world. It feeds on more than 500 different species of plants, including amaranth, banana and plantain, breadfruit, broccoli, blimbi and carambola, cabbage, cauliflower, cassava, cocoa, coffee, papaya, peanut, rubber, and most varieties of beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, okra, onion, sweet potato, taro, tea, teak, tobacco, tomato, vanilla and yam. This large snail grows up to 20 cm in length and 12 cm in the maximum diameter of its shell. The giant African snail originated in coastal East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), and has become widely established throughout south Asia, on many islands in the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, including the Hawaiian Islands. Also the pest has spread to Somalia, Ethiopia, Morocco and Brazil. Robinson (2002) listed the order of appearance of A. fulica in the West Indies as follows: "Cascade aux Ecrevisses, Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe (1984), spreading to Sainte Anne, Grande Terre (1987); Morne Rouge, Martinique (1988); St. Lucia (2000); Barbados (2000)." The island of Saint Martin has been infested since It is believed that the Dutch side, Saint Maarten, became infested shortly thereafter (APHIS, 2009). Robinson (2002) described the life cycle of A. fulica as follows: "Snails reach sexual maturity in less than a year (assuming no delays due to hibernation or aestavation), and can live for up to nine years, although three to five years is more normal. Reciprocal copulation, typically lasting six to eight hours, must occur to produce viable eggs. Eggs are laid in clutches of 10 to 400 eggs within 8 to 20 days of copulation, usually in nests excavated in the soil, but sometimes among leaves and stones on the ground surface. Repeated laying of egg clutches can occur from a single mating, as the sperm is stored in each snail. The frequency of egg-laying depends on the local climate, particularly according to the duration and frequency of the rainy seasons; periods of drought will prevent or delay feeding activity and reproduction. Therefore, according to the climate, individuals can lay up to 500/year in Sri Lanka, up to 300/year in Hong Kong, and well over 1000/year in Hawaii and Calcutta, India. Upon emerging from the eggs, the hatchlings will consume their eggshells, as well as unhatched siblings and surrounding organic detritus, remaining underground for five to 15 days. Once out of the nest, the young snails continue to 117

5 feed on organic detritus and preferred host plants, remaining fairly close to the nest for a couple of weeks. After this time, they will range further afield, each individual ultimately establishing a home range within two months, feeding primarily on plants at night and returning to roost before dawn. Animals whose shells measure between 5 and 30 mm in length appear to cause the most damage to plants. Food preferences depend on the availability of plant species. Larger snails continue to feed on plant material, but also become increasingly detritus-feeders as they age." Giant African snails have also been observed to feed on rat carcases (Figure 1), which may have significance with respect to the epidemiology of hooknoses. Figure 1. Giant African snail feeding on the carcass of a dead rat. Moreover, Robinson (2002) advised: "It should be noted that this species is highly adaptable to a wide range of environments, modifying its life cycle to suit local conditions. Its life history should therefore be studied wherever it appears to have become established, so that control and eradication strategies can be developed." ACTIONS OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON THE GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL The Technical Working Group on Giant African Snail (GAS TWG) was appointed by the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum and the Working Group met on 2-3 July 2008 in Barbados. The main objectives of this first meeting were: 1. To establish the Technical Working Group on Giant African Snail 2. Review the generic terms of reference of Technical Working Groups 3. Set the work programme for the Technical Working Group on Giant African Snail 118

6 Figure 2. Night time hunt for giant African snail in Barbados Tasks and Achievements. A number of areas of responsibilities were determined and assigned to MS and organizations. Most of these obligations were fulfilled as reported to the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum and to Member States. The following achievements are especially noteworthy: Revision of Terms of Reference (TOR) for adoption by Plant Health Directors Country updates submitted Update of infested countries -to date only Trinidad and Tobago has been added Compilation of reference material is ongoing -some posted to D-groups Public awareness information sent to the D-group coordinator The Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) done by USDA has been posted 119

7 The population dynamics of the snail is being studied Dr. Angela Fields of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Dr. Fields found that rats feed on the giant African snail, and that rat populations increase in localities where the snail's population is dense. Since leptospirosis may be contracted by exposure to rat urine, the relationship between the population dynamics of the snail is of practical consequence. A report of current research being undertaken and on use of the human resource capital of the region for assistance to member states has been submitted by Dr. Angela Fields, UWI, as well as on the. Training in field identification of snails was carried out in Antigua and Barbuda by UWI and USD A/APHIS. CONTROL MEASURES In Barbados the molluscide metaldehyde is being used. It is available as bait pellets, soluble powder or liquid suspension. Blitzem Pellets: bait pellet 1.5% Deadline Pellets: bait pellet 4.0% Meta-metaldehyde: soluble powder 100% Murphy Slugit liquid: liquid suspension 20% The Programme is being redesigned in order to employ more environmentally friendly control measures such as the following: Iron phosphate based baits Hand collecting and crushing/incineration Drowning in salt water Using lime The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Barbados has instituted a bounty of 50 cents per pound of live giant African snails. The response from the general public has been encouraging. Collected giant African snails are burnt to destroy the snails and their eggs (Figure 3). During the period, April - June 2009, 19 tons of giant African snails GAS were burnt. REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL (GAS) Currently the following Caribbean islands have infestations of this invasive species: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and Trinidad CONSTRAINTS The major constraint in coping with the giant African Snail is the inadequate amount of time that Ministry of Agriculture employees can reallocate from other pressing duties to devote to combating the giant African snail. Thus this threat cannot be met within currently available manpower resources. 120

8 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP At the 2nd meeting of the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum, the GAS TWG recommended to the Plant Health Directors that: The revised TOR of the GAS TWG be adopted (which was done), and that The Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica) be made a notifiable pest and be placed on the Regional Priority Pest list. Figure 3. Burning collected giant African snails in a pit in Barbados. REFERENCES APHIS, USDA Robinson, D Giant African Snail, Escargot Géant. Achatina fulica Bowdich, IICA Report on Giant African Snails Workshop, December 4-5, 2002, ISSN , A2/LC