THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME to wipe out the giant African snail population faces two hitches – the negative attitude of some householders and dumping of garbage in the gullies.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentHaynesley Benn made this complaint yesterday.

"Many people are still taking the snails for granted," he told the DAILY NATION.

He said there was a tendency by homeowners to regard the snails as solely the ministry's problem.

"Getting rid of the snails is everybody's responsibility," he asserted. "We have a designated team to seek out and eradicate snails, but when they visit a district everybody has to come out and arm themselves with gloves and bait and let us work as a team.

"We all have to act now or it is going to be too late. The snails will overrun this country if we all do not act swiftly."

Benn also charged that dumping of garbage created problems for the plan to attack snails in the gullies.

"Two weeks ago we sent the team to scout out the gullies," Benn reported.

"To our despair and dismay, we found a lot of garbage – old cars, old fridges and other items, with the vines preventing them from dropping to the bottom of the gully. I am appealing to all Barbadians – desist from dumping in the gullies."

The Ministry of Agriculture has been working with the District Emergency Organisations (DEOs) and other non-governmental groups in the snail-eradication programme, with head of the St George North DEO, David Walrond, co-ordinating some activities.

Thousands of snails have already been eradicated in areas of St Thomas, St James and St Peter.

"I was very happy to get rain this week," Benn admitted. "Once the rains came, the snails came out from their hiding place."

He described St James as "pestered with snails" and said snails were still a problem in St Thomas, where he had pulled more than 30 off a single wall and destroyed them. (TY)