‘Sharing information is key in ridding Rota of slug infestation’

From a “biosecurity” standpoint, new pest introductions should be contained as soon as possible to avoid further spread of the slug infestation on Rota.

Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service on Rota task force chair and IPM coordinator Alejandro E. Badilles said the key to staying aware against the potentially threatening pest outbreaks, such as the slug incursion on Rota, is by communicating and sharing information to lawmakers and the community.

Badilles forwarded a letter to Sen. Diego Songao last month with a nine-page summary of the “Impact Statement: Slug Incursion on Rota Island of the CNMI.

Badilles, in his letter also requested assistance from the senator. He said in his letter that the CNMI is currently facing the outbreak of these “introduced exotic species that is slugs and snails on Rota.”

He said there is an urgent need to address the issue to avoid the further spread of invasive species to other main islands of the CNMI.

Included in the impact statement submitted to the lawmaker are information on the economic, health and social impacts of this problem to the CNMI.

He said information about the identification, distribution, host preferences, and pest status of these pests is needed to prevent their further spread. He said the information would also help in planning eradication programs for the pests.

Badilles said tourism is also a major source of income on Rota, but because of the high slug population inhabiting the surrounding areas of local resorts, hotels, restaurants, and other tourist sites on Rota, the income coming from tourism has been adversely affected. In agriculture, farmers, home gardeners, and commercial ornamental nurseries are suffering major losses due to the high populations of slugs around the island. He said according to reports, the losses are quite substantial.

The slugs are also known as hosts for deadly parasites such as the rat lungworm or Angiostrongylus cantonensis that caused a major disease outbreak in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

He said there has been an increase of fear and a notion that the slugs would create a false image for the island of Rota.

Badilles’ task force will be responsible for the control and surveillance of the present slug outbreak on Rota.

The task force is a joint collaborative effort with the Rota Mayor’s Office, Department of Lands and Natural Resources-Rota and the NMC-CREES on Rota.