Invasive snail creeps up on Nova Scotia lakes, ponds
Social Sharing
At seven centimetres, the Chinese mystery snail may look big for an aquatic snail. But it's fairly unassuming.
However, Ken Donnelly of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council says this species can quickly outcompete other snails and change the water quality of ponds and lakes, making it a concern for Nova Scotian ecosystems.
Donnelly says they are being seen more often over the past month. He said even his organization was surprised when it found several of the snails in its fishnets on a recent trip.
"It would be hard to count them all, but they are definitely prevalent," said Donnelly. "The growth in reports is pretty significant. We're getting more and more of them. So we're concerned that there may be many more than we know about."
They were first reported in Ontario more than 90 years ago and have been slowly making their way around the country, Donnelly said.
They seem to be mostly in the Halifax and Dartmouth areas, he said, but some have been observed near Annapolis Royal and as far as Sydney.
Donnelly said the snails are sold in pet stores, which may be how they got into the ecosystem.
Jerry Wang, owner of Shrimp Lover & Tropical Fish in Dartmouth, says anyone purchasing snails, or any imported species for that matter, should not release them into the wild — even if they are dead.
Some aquarium keepers can end up with too many of the snails. Wang said that leads some to consider getting rid of them by any means necessary. A single female can produce as many as 130 babies at once.
He warns owners about disposal methods that could lead to their introduction into the wild.
"Please, if you don't like it, don't dispose of it in the river or flushing the toilet," said Wang. "Bring to the closest local fish store.
"Their lifespan is not that long. So if you have a fish store, they will keep them until they peacefully die off."
Other provinces deal with this snail differently from Nova Scotia. It's illegal to possess, release, sell or transport the snail in Alberta.
Once the snail becomes established in an ecosystem, it is hard to get rid of them.
According to the Canadian Invasive Species Centre, molluscicides used to manage similar species have shown to be ineffective in the control of the Chinese mystery snails. Donnelly says the chemicals could also affect other native species, so their use is not recommended.
Instead, Donnelly says containment is the best practice when the snail has already been established in an ecosystem.
"It's possible that a Chinese mystery snail might attach to their fishing boots or their equipment," he said. "So they should look at them, clean their equipment, and make sure there's nothing that's hitching a ride."
He encourages people to stay alert when fishing, kayaking or swimming at your local pond or lake. Nova Scotians who believe they might have spotted these aquatic snails should take a photo, note the location where they found them and call DFO Maritimes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Uniacke Firefighter Fair raises money for equipment
Atlantic Watch The 2025 Uniacke Firefighter Fair kicked off Friday in Mount Uniacke, N.S., to raise money to purchase equipment for the department.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony near Louisbourg starts National Indigenous Peoples Day
About 40 people gathered at the break of dawn Saturday along the Atlantic coast near Louisbourg, N.S., for a Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony to kick off National Indigenous Peoples Day. The ceremony was led by Eskasoni First Nation Elder Lottie Johnson, who said it's meant for all people to share. But as a residential school survivor, Johnson said the ceremony holds extra meaning for her. "It's a very special time. It's quiet and as the sun comes up, you see the creation of [the] creator. Everything is so beautiful and it's like almost-new again. That's where you get the hope and the will to go on." Johnson regularly conducts the sunrise ceremony and said dawn is a good time to connect with the Earth and to pray. National Indigenous Peoples Day did not exist when she went to the residential school in Shubenacadie, but June 21 and the summer solstice hold special meaning for many of those who went. "June 21 was Freedom Day, what they called it," she said. "That was the day you get to go home for the summer. But not all of the kids went home. Some of them had no places to go, so they stayed." The sunrise ceremony, which is sacred and cannot be recorded, was organized by Allison Bernard Memorial High School teacher Jonathan Cox, along with other members of his union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada. He said holding the ceremony at Louisbourg is an important part of reconciliation, honouring the original inhabitants of what is now Canada. "It's not just a checkbox. It's something we need to do — all the settlers, colonizers, Mi'kmaq, non-Mi'kmaq, visitors." The union's first sunrise ceremony was held last year in a clearing by a look-off not far from the historic Louisbourg lighthouse, which was being refurbished at the time. The beacon is on the site of the first lighthouse in Canada, lit in 1734 by the French at the entrance to the harbour across from what is now the Fortress of Louisbourg. Now that the work on the existing structure has finished, the sunrise ceremony was held east of the lighthouse on a small cape looking out over the cold North Atlantic Ocean. Before dawn, it was windy and cold, with the ceremony conducted in a huddle using a couple of large vehicles as windbreaks. Not long after the ceremony, the clouds broke up and the sun came out. Cox said despite the cold, everything was as it should be. The Mi'kmaq are known as the People of the Dawn and they call Cape Breton Island Unama'ki, the Land of Fog. "It is a perfect way to start this day," he said. "This should be a national holiday, but we'll start with ceremonies like this, so that people can celebrate heritage." "I don't think there's a better place anywhere, period, to see the sun come up."
CBC
8 hours ago
- CBC
Invasive snail creeps up on Nova Scotia lakes, ponds
Social Sharing At seven centimetres, the Chinese mystery snail may look big for an aquatic snail. But it's fairly unassuming. However, Ken Donnelly of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council says this species can quickly outcompete other snails and change the water quality of ponds and lakes, making it a concern for Nova Scotian ecosystems. Donnelly says they are being seen more often over the past month. He said even his organization was surprised when it found several of the snails in its fishnets on a recent trip. "It would be hard to count them all, but they are definitely prevalent," said Donnelly. "The growth in reports is pretty significant. We're getting more and more of them. So we're concerned that there may be many more than we know about." They were first reported in Ontario more than 90 years ago and have been slowly making their way around the country, Donnelly said. They seem to be mostly in the Halifax and Dartmouth areas, he said, but some have been observed near Annapolis Royal and as far as Sydney. Donnelly said the snails are sold in pet stores, which may be how they got into the ecosystem. Jerry Wang, owner of Shrimp Lover & Tropical Fish in Dartmouth, says anyone purchasing snails, or any imported species for that matter, should not release them into the wild — even if they are dead. Some aquarium keepers can end up with too many of the snails. Wang said that leads some to consider getting rid of them by any means necessary. A single female can produce as many as 130 babies at once. He warns owners about disposal methods that could lead to their introduction into the wild. "Please, if you don't like it, don't dispose of it in the river or flushing the toilet," said Wang. "Bring to the closest local fish store. "Their lifespan is not that long. So if you have a fish store, they will keep them until they peacefully die off." Other provinces deal with this snail differently from Nova Scotia. It's illegal to possess, release, sell or transport the snail in Alberta. Once the snail becomes established in an ecosystem, it is hard to get rid of them. According to the Canadian Invasive Species Centre, molluscicides used to manage similar species have shown to be ineffective in the control of the Chinese mystery snails. Donnelly says the chemicals could also affect other native species, so their use is not recommended. Instead, Donnelly says containment is the best practice when the snail has already been established in an ecosystem. "It's possible that a Chinese mystery snail might attach to their fishing boots or their equipment," he said. "So they should look at them, clean their equipment, and make sure there's nothing that's hitching a ride." He encourages people to stay alert when fishing, kayaking or swimming at your local pond or lake. Nova Scotians who believe they might have spotted these aquatic snails should take a photo, note the location where they found them and call DFO Maritimes.
