Jeonnam Province Focuses Administrative Efforts on Preventing Damage from Overwintered Apple Snails

Collecting Apple Snail Eggs from Irrigation Channels and Walls Before Rice Planting

Jeonnam Province plans to actively engage in eradication activities for overwintered apple snails. Photo by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province is making every effort to collect apple snails before rice planting in order to prevent damage caused by the species.

Overwintered adult apple snails cause damage by feeding on newly transplanted rice seedlings. Therefore, while the utilization of apple snails is important, it is also necessary to collect them and block their entry into rice paddies.

Accordingly, on April 29, Jeonnam Province conducted a joint apple snail collection activity with local government officials, farmers, and organizations at Hasimdong 3 Complex in Jisan-myeon, Jindo, which was identified as a high-risk area due to damage last year, in order to minimize apple snail damage this year.

More than 50 participants, including local farmers, members of the Eco-friendly and Apple Snail Producers Association, and relevant public officials, took part in the collection activities, focusing on gathering apple snails from irrigation and drainage channels as well as collecting eggs attached to the walls.

On this day, the Apple Snail Producers Association also demonstrated the installation of a "ㄷ"-shaped barrier net in the water supply channel to prevent the inflow of apple snails from outside before irrigating the rice paddies. This demonstration helped raise awareness among farmers about the importance of collecting and managing apple snails.

Kim Youngseok, Director of the Eco-friendly Agriculture Division of Jeonnam Province, stated, "If deep plowing during winter reduced the population of apple snails in the paddies, now is the time to block their inflow through irrigation and drainage channels," and urged, "Please participate in collecting apple snails and installing barrier nets in the channels before rice planting."

As part of rural manpower support, Jeonnam Province plans to conduct apple snail collection activities in early May in Masan-myeon, Haenam (Ttangkkeut Organic Rice Complex). In addition, other counties that experienced damage last year, such as Goheung and Jangheung, also plan to independently collect apple snails from agricultural water channels before rice planting.