'Strange' PA banner about vulnerable apple snails will be updated, was meant to raise awareness of pollution

A banner in Marina Bay caused a small stir in Singapore's wildlife circles when it urged members of the public to consider "vulnerable" apple snails' eggs.

"Imagine living a life trapped in a bottle," read the banner, which was put up by PAssion Wave, an offshoot of the People's Association (PA).

It noted that apple snails' eggs were often found trapped in plastic bottles floating in reservoirs, shortening their lifespans.

Caused confusion

But people were quick to point out that golden apple snails are a known invasive species in Singapore.

In a Mar. 24 Facebook post, a user who goes by the name Robin Rheaume posted a photo of the banner, which she'd come across on Mar. 20.

"Am I misinformed? I thought apple snails are an invasive species. Why are they suggesting we need to look out for them? Aren't we supposed to crush them at every opportunity?" she asked.

Golden apple snails, famous for their "forbidden mentaiko" pink eggs, are among the top 100 most invasive species in the world.

PUB previously mentioned that it regularly removes the eggs from reservoir banks as part of maintenance works.

PAssion Wave's response

In response to Mothership's queries, PAssion Wave said the banners were part of a series put up in 2015 to raise awareness about environmental sustainability.

"During our regular waterway cleanups by kayak, we come across plastic bottles and aluminium cans containing apple snail shells," a spokesperson said.

It added that the banner will be updated to "better reflect the current ecological considerations regarding apple snails".

"We welcome the public to join us on one of PAssion Wave's kayak cleanups to experience firsthand and learn more about protecting the environment."

Some more nature-inclined members of the public also pointed out that Singapore actually does have a native species of apple snail — albeit a threatened one.

The rare apple snail (Pila scutata) was once the largest freshwater snail species found in Singapore.

But its population appears to have declined with the spread of the golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), which was introduced around the 1980s, and is now one of the two main species of apple snail found in Singapore.

The apple snail has to compete with its invasive cousin for food and shelter, and as a result has gone from "naturally and abundant and widespread" to its current diminished population, according to a study by the National University of Singapore.

Top image from Elsa Xu/Facebook and Robin Rheaume/Facebook