The golden apple snail (GAS) was introduced in the Philippines between 1982 and 1984

to supplement sources of food protein of low-income Filipino farmers. However, in 1986,

it began to damage heavily rice farms in northwestern Luzon. Its rapid multiplication and
wide distribution threaten rice production and food security in the country.

This study led by scientists and researchers of the DA-PhilRice focused on farmers'
KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices) survey and snail sampling. The current status
and management of GAS in the IRT (Ifugao Rice Terraces) was determined with
emphasis on ecological, and socioeconomic aspects. Farm interviews were conducted
using a pretested questionnaire translated into Iloko (the local dialect), using a list of key
issues but not limited by it. In-depth interviews gathered greater insights on farmers'
perceptions of the GAS problem. These were aimed at developing seasonal and
historical profiles, and interaction matrices describing GAS development in the IRT.
Secondary data from the MAO, CECAP, ITC, DA and key informants in
the barangays were gathered to validate the interview data. Randomly selected and
interviewed were 127 farmers from the 26 barangays in the Ifugao municipalities of
Banaue, Hungduan, and Mayoyao.

Women outnumbered men. Majorities of the farmers had average literacy and were
aged 31–70 years old. They had substantially long rice farming experiences aside from
non-farm activities such as woodcarving. Farmers ranked GAS as their main pest after
earthworms and rats.

GAS had invaded the IRT because of human intervention and lack of adequate basic
knowledge of the pest. Farmers' perceived a yield loss of 41–50% caused by GAS.
Farmers in the IRT use many indigenous technologies, but their potential and
integration will have to be validated. GAS was the only snail pest species found in the
IRT irrespective of elevation. GAS females always outnumbered males, but operculum
size varied with shell size, and could not be related to sex. The most common color
encountered in the GAS samplings was golden brown.

Specific technologies to manage GAS are needed in the IRT taking into account the
indigenous technology and farmers' knowledge, rather than making blanket
recommendations which lowland farmers now use for GAS management. This is
possible through the farmer-scientist participatory research, extension and training
approach. The existing National IPM program of the Department of Agriculture could
further strengthen this approach to promote other uses of GAS through the farmers' field
school.

Mollusks in Commerce

 Mollusk shells have long been - and still are in some areas - used as currency.
 Mollusks are often used to make jewelry. Pearls are produced by many bivalves
when a tiny particle of sand or grit is trapped between the mantle and the shell;
the animal forms a protective covering around the irritant. The substance used to
form this covering, the pearl, is made from the iridescent material that lines the
interior of the shell; it is called nacre or aragonite. Most pearls used as jewelry
are made by pearl oysters and freshwater mussels; most of the ones sold are
cultured and not wild.
 Shells are also used to make buttons, belt buckles, hair clips and the like.
 In ancient times, dyes were made from various mollusks. The most famous was
from Bolinus brandaris, a gastropod, from which was made Tyrian or imperial
purple. Its common name is the purple dye murex.
 Some shells are often collected because of their great beauty. The more rare and
beautiful the mollusk, the more coveted is its shell. Unfortunately, collectors
usually kill the animal in order to get its shell. This has resulted in many of the
more rare and unusual mollusks becoming scarcer and even endangered.
Food Item, Aquarium Trade, and Aquatic Weed Control
The rapid spread of GAS has been due to its potential as a food item and in the aquarium
trade (Cowie 1996) and for biological control purposes against both aquatic and terrestrial
weeds (Carlsson et al. 2004). In addition, GAS is used as a specimen for dissections for
educational purposes in Texas (Howells 2005).
GAS is a popular aquarium pet because of its a ractive appearance and size. It has been
introduced to many parts of the world via the aquarium trade, and also as a protein source. In
Thailand, GAS was imported by the aquarium trade, yet it is also probable that it was introduced
as a source of food, as elsewhere in Southeast Asia (Sinives 2005). In Hawaii, in addition to
being a food source, GAS is available in aquarium stores (Cowie 1996).
In Japan, introduction of P. canaliculata has been reported as a possible agent for weed
control (Okuma et al. 1994, Wada 2004).
GAS has the ability to move a long distance within the water system (Fig. 1). In a canal, GAS
can move more than 100 m upstream or more than 500 m downstream in 1 week (Ozawa and
Makino 1989). However, Ichinose and Yoshida (2001) reported that the snails could not expand
their range to the upper areas of a water system because of the fast water ow. Moreover, one
population (established about 20 years ago) in northern Japan is restricted to an area of only
1.5 km x 0.5 km in quiet water canals (Ito 2003), and the snails have not so far been observed
outside this range for at least 3 years. But the factors restricting the dissemination of snails
within a water system are not fully understood (Ito 2003).