Unchecked snail, mussel poaching threatens wetland ecosystem at Santhia

SANTHIA, PABNA, Nov 2: Snails and mussels are being harvested indiscriminately from canals and wetlands in Santhia Upazila of Pabna, threatening aquatic biodiversity and raising concerns over the long-term fertility of farmland.

Although collecting snails provides a livelihood for many low-income families, agriculture officials and environmental experts warn that excessive harvesting is disrupting the ecological balance of wetlands and reducing soil fertility.

The snails collected from wetlands across Santhia are transported through local traders to shrimp and fish farms in Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira districts in the southern region. Their flesh is used as an affordable feed for shrimp, while crushed shells are used in fish feed, poultry feed and lime production.

Around 25 to 30 snail trading centres have reportedly sprung up in the upazila. Thousands of maunds of snails are transported by trucks to the southern districts every day.

Wholesalers buy each sack for Tk 700-800 and sell it to shrimp farm owners for Tk 900-1,100.

Snail harvesting is taking place in several wetlands, including Muktahar Beel, Sonai Beel, Satanirchar, Gourigram Beel, Ghugudaha Beel, Dhalai Beel, Demra, Dhulauri, Ariadaha, Sonatala, Gangabhanga and Katiadaha.

A visit to Muktahar Beel, Satanirchar Bridge and nearby villages found men and women collecting snails from the wetlands in small boats from morning until afternoon. They sell the snails to local traders for Tk 5-6 per kilogramme, while wholesalers sell them to duck and fish farm owners for Tk 10-11 a kilogramme.

Snail collectors Alhaj Ali and Habil Hossain, who were collecting snails near Muktahar Beel, said they turned to the work during the rainy season when other employment opportunities were scarce.

They earn around Tk 500-600 a day by selling the snails, they said.

Zaynab Khatun, a snail collector from Satanirchar village, said she collected 70-80kg of snails every day from a nearby wetland after finishing her household chores, earning Tk 350-400.

Local trader Shamim Hossain said he bought snails worth Tk 10,000-12,000 every day at Tk 5 per kilogramme and sold them in Khulna, earning around Tk 1,000 daily.

He said he was unaware that buying and selling snails was a punishable offence.

Santhia Upazila Fisheries Officer Shamsur Rahman said the destruction of snails and mussels was disrupting the aquatic food chain and reducing the availability of natural food for fish.

Snails also filter water, and their destruction affects water quality and aquatic biodiversity, he said.

Santhia Upazila Agriculture Officer Sajib Al Maruf said snails were natural allies of agriculture. Excessive harvesting from farmland and wetlands reduces soil fertility, degrades water quality and lowers the amount of organic matter in the soil.

Dead snails decompose and enrich farmland, while their removal can increase pest attacks on crops, he added.

Nazrul Islam, a professor of zoology at Rajshahi University, said snails and mussels were important components of the food chain in wetlands. Their indiscriminate harvesting was reducing the natural fertility of land and disrupting ecological balance.

Pabna Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Jahangir Alam Pramanik said the remains of dead organisms decompose into organic fertiliser.

Excessive destruction of snails would reduce soil nutrients and have serious long-term consequences for the food chain and the environment, he added.