Management
As with most aquatic nuisance species, management options after a successful introduction are very limited,
so prevention and education are most important.
The goal of management is to prevent and delay the spread of New Zealand mudsnail to new areas
and to reduce the impact of this species where present.
Education
The education goal is simple: people should learn not to spread any species from one place to another.
Avoiding the accidental spread of diseases and parasites is the simplest argument.
Any larger organism may contain disease and parasites so these should never be moved.
Release it when and where you found it or destroy it, is the best policy.
It is also generally illegal to knowingly move organisms between different water bodies.
Field Safety
Their large populations at many sites, small body size and broad environmental tolerance,
make the New Zealand mudsnail well adapted to accidental transport by humans.
As an asexual live-bearer, a single individual can start a new population.
However, there is no resistance stage, nor is there any attachment mechanism,
so fairly simple precautions should prevent accidental transport.
Always exit a water body clean: rinse and towel off any where the snails might be lodged.
Never move any water from one water body to another as this can easily contain small snails and other harmful species.
Heat or dry any gear that might contain snails before entering another water body.
While these snails can live for weeks if wet and cold, they are quickly killed by heat or through drying.
Reports
The New Zealand mudsnail Management and Control Plan Team
Management Actions
Still working here.....
- Emergency Closures:
- Water Supply Filtering:
- Darlington Ditch Snail Eradication:
- Hatchery Transport:
2002 FEB 9, last updated on 2006 JAN 25