Apple Snails...

[matt_storey]

How marketable are Apple snails? Have just had a batch start to hatch and 2 more unhatched.

Currently have 20 babies slithering about, so in a week or two will be 50+..

Should i get a few Assassins?

 

[mike455555]

they probaly sell for about the same as cherrys shrimp

 

[DrRob]

Marketable, very, but for the wrong reasons. Sadly a recent EU legislation tweak made them illegal to trade in the UK, so you won't see any for sale.

 

[zain611]

Im sure they are in my local Pets@home

 

[mike455555]

Marketable, very, but for the wrong reasons. Sadly a recent EU legislation tweak made them illegal to trade in the UK, so you won't see any for sale.

what? why for the wrong reasons and why cant the uk trade them ?

 

[Getthejist]

They're invasive in Spain, and because we could potentially send plants over with the snails on or just send the actual snails so that's why we can't trade them. They have only recently been made illegal to trade so some stores still have them in stock.

 

[mike455555]

but trade within the uk should be legal thats stupid

 

[MBOU]

Thats what happens with the laws covering the whole of the EU. Including us in the UK... its an important ban to stop them spreading, whilst it is a real pain and very sad, think of the species of plant and animal that have been damaged or destroyed by the applesnails that have taken over the rivers? etc in Spain.

 

[mike455555]

if its an import ban there can still be trading within the uk with the snails which are already here? just no more can be coming over from other country's?

im not saying it a bad thing as if they are taking over spain its a good thing

 

[Baccus]

I am not sure how militant Englands fauna and flora police are but I have seen the extremes that Australias Fisheries department will go to, to erradicate pest snails from commercial fish tanks. So whether or not snails that are currently in a country can still be traded, I wouldn't be willing to test the authorities resolve in not continuing to have them traded.
In Australia we techniqually dont legally have cherry shrimp, bee shrimp and crystal shrimp, but many people do have these species in their tanks. AQIS knows this and for now these shrimp currently in the country (even though they where smuggled in at some point) are allowed to be kept bred and traded, however some Australian forums have put bans on sales and trading of these intorduced species of shrimp to avoid later legal issues should AQIS ever decide that all non native shrimp need to be erradicated.

 

[MBOU]

The way the ban is worded, it pretty much says that 'apple snails are no longer allowed to be soldby shops therefore they will slowly die out as they are no longer imported"

But they dont mention about breeding them in the UK, however, I think this is because they are being quite lax on the law as apple snails are unlikely to pose a threat in this country... though I think with people's attitudes towards the ban already (everyone saying 'oh well, i will just breed them and sell them') I think it wont be long before they edit the wording of the law.

 

[matt_storey]

So i have another batch of eggs. How soon until i can sell them? I was thinking 50p each

 

[MBOU]

Either way, we aren't allowing the sale of Apple Snails in the UK via this forum. It has the potential to cause more problems by allowing it than by preventing it, it would also make it seem that we are encouraging people to bypass a law...

 

[matt_storey]

Understood

 

[lau]

Do you know if fish shops would accept them? I'm over run with apple snails right now and no idea where else i can take them to.

Cheers
Laura