Directive No. 151-TTg On concentrating forces to quickly eliminate the golden apple snail

DIRECTIVE

ON THE CONCENTRATION OF EFFORTS TO QUICKLY ELIMINATE THE SNAIL PLAGUE

In recent times, local authorities at all levels and relevant ministries and sectors have made significant efforts to organize the implementation of Decision No. 528/TTg dated September 29, 1994, of the Government Chairman, concerning the prohibition of raising and eradication of golden snails, achieving some initial results. However, due to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, as well as some related sectors, not being fully focused, resolute, and fully aware of their responsibility in strictly guiding the implementation of this Decision, and in many localities, the understanding of the serious harm caused by golden snails has not been sufficient or profound, thus in management, there has not been truly urgent guidance on eradication from the outset, preventing the spread, and even in some places, when golden snails were found causing damage, inappropriate and non-synchronized measures were proposed such as buying snail eggs with money, whoever finds them should deal with them, without organizing an urgent and comprehensive campaign...

Given the serious situation above, if timely and thorough eradication is not carried out urgently, it will cause irreparable harm to agricultural production, particularly rice production. As many countries in the region have shown, once this plague spreads widely, not only will crops be lost but also much labor, money, and time will be required for eradication.

To ensure the complete eradication of golden snails, the Government Chairman requests: The Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, Ministers of the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Industry, Fisheries, Science and Technology, and Environment, Heads of related sectors must urgently implement the following measures:

1/ Starting from March 1995, local authorities at all levels must develop a specific plan, mobilizing all forces, including everyone and every household, if necessary, mobilizing students, military personnel, and laborers from economic and social organizations within the area, concentrating in one or two campaigns over 5 to 7 days... simultaneously going to the fields to participate in catching and eradicating golden snails; subsequently assigning each household the responsibility to catch and eradicate snails and snail eggs immediately on the areas of paddy fields, fields, ponds, lakes... that they are using, ensuring that by June 1995, all golden snails must be eradicated.

2/ The Chairmen of People's Committees at all levels must take responsibility and personally direct the eradication of the golden snail plague, opposing any manifestations of complacency, even in places where it has not yet appeared or has just appeared on a small scale.

3/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry has the main responsibility, together with the Ministries of Fisheries, Science and Technology, and Environment and related sectors based on their functions and tasks, to mobilize all forces within their sectors to guide, assist, and inspect localities in strictly implementing this Directive.

4/ The Ministry of Commerce shall coordinate with the Ministry of Fisheries to immediately inspect and report to the Government Chairman on agencies that have proposed, requested permits for importation, and imported golden snail seeds into Vietnam, which have caused these serious consequences.

5/ Mass media agencies need to clearly analyze the harms and guide the methods and experiences of catching snails and collecting golden snail eggs from each locality, commend localities that perform well, criticize and correct localities that perform poorly, and disseminate this Directive through various media so that the entire population is aware and can implement it.

Upon receipt of this Directive, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities are responsible for reporting to the Government Chairman on the level of golden snails, along with plans, measures, and timelines for completely eradicating the golden snail in their respective localities.