Biosecurity Tasmania declared a halt on the products from entering the state the snail was detected in punnets of strawberries by two customers.

The punnets were bought from different supermarkets in different parts of the state, one in the north and one in the south.

Biosecurity Tasmania general manager Lloyd Klumpp said BT had worked with the supermarkets to remove those growers’ products from supermarket shelves.

“From traceback undertaken so far, we have isolated the pest detections to two growers in Western Australia and have put a stop on further product from those growers entering the State at this stage,” Dr Klumpp said.

“We will put further measures in place on product from other Western Australian growers as well to reduce the risk of further incursions.”

Dr Klumpp encouraged consumers to check their own punnets of strawberries if they have any at home.

“We will continue to liaise with Western Australian authorities to understand what has happened but until that has been resolved we will be halting further strawberries from those growers entering the State.”

Green snail is native to Southern Europe and North Africa but has been established in the Perth metropolitan area since the 1980s.

Mature green snails have an olive-green shell and white flesh. They are intermediate in size and rarely exceed 25mm in shell diameter.

Fruit Growers Tasmania’s business development manager Phil Pyke said the detection of the pest was concerning for the state’s fruit growers.

“Detections on farms require a restricted area to be declared around the infestation and restrictions will apply to the movement from this area of most plant materials, including pasture grasses, fodder (hay), vegetables, nursery stock and cut flowers. This pest once established can affect many sectors within agriculture,” he said.

The green snail has a wide host range. It has caused damage to cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuces, peas, beans, wheat, lupins, pasture grasses and native plants.

The damage caused by green snail is similar to that of common garden snail – feeding on surfaces of young leaves, often only penetrating shallowly and leaving a ‘windowpane effect’.

Older snails eat holes in the leaves and may reduce them to veins only. During their underground summer dormancy, snails do not pose a risk to crops.

If you find any snails on your strawberries, members of the public can contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 6165 3777.

 – by CAITLIN JARVIS

EARLIER: A high-priority pest has been found in strawberry punnets in Tasmania that were imported from interstate.

Biosecurity Tasmania on Wednesday announced it had stopped strawberry imports from two West Australian growers.

The pest  – a green snail – has been found in two different supermarkets, one Northern and one Southern.

Biosecurity Tasmania has not revealed which supermarket retailer or retailers the snails were found in.

Customers who have bought Western Australian-grown strawberries are urged to check their produce for snails or snail remnants.

The green snail is native to southern Europe and North Africa, but has been a constant in Perth, Western Australia, since in the 1980s.

They are nationally recognised as a high priority pest.

Adult green snails have olive-green shells and white flesh, and their shells are smaller than 25 millimetres wide.

Members of the public can contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 6165 3777.