Rough draft for Apple Snail Project by Chingling Wo, Sonoma State University.

8/23/2009
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Rethinking Postcolonialism and Critical Global Theory in Light of the World’s Most
Invasive Snail.

We are planning a panel on Invasive Species, Postcolonial and Critical Global Theory for
Crossroads in Cultural Studies 2010, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (June 17-21, 2010).
The deadline for proposal submission is Dec 15th, 2009. Please email proposal to
wochingling@hotmail.com by Dec 20th, 2009.

How do we understand the intersection of the environmentalist discourse on invasive species,

post-colonial theorization of hybridity, and globalization’s problematics of localization and global
flow? This call-for-paper invites scholars working in environmental studies, critical global
studies, post-colonialism, science studies, geography, and other relevant field to generate critical
analysis and develop a cultural studies project on Apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata). With the
increased severity of apple snail infestations in China, we strongly encourage scholars
in China to submit a proposal. Scientist specialized in Apple Snails and would like to
connect with other disciplines are also encouraged to apply. Other interested
members of the scholarly community are very welcome as well.

See below for on why we would like to focus on Apple Snail. If you are working on other
invasive species, don’t hesitate to send your proposal forward.

Why Apple Snails

Apple Snail (commonly called Fu Sho Luo in Taiwan and China) was originally from the Amazon.
It became invasive to many East Asian water systems since the 1980s. Since 2006, with a case of
Beijing Fu Shou Luo food poisoning, many fisheries released Apple Snail (Fu Shou Luo) to native
water ways. Thus, following the unfortunate example of Taiwan's rice paddies, many mainland
Chinese rice irrigation system have been infested with the snail. While a new wave of apple snail
infestation of local waterways starts, many internet websites are still listing apple snail as an
aquatic pet. This sober story generates its tragic-ness in its continual repetition in different parts
of the world. It makes an interdisciplinary project aiming at spreading the words on Fu Shou Luo
as one of the world’s 100 most invasive species an urgent one, though more needs to be done than
that.

In its wake, this silent crisis calls attention to the danger of disciplinary expert knowledge’s
uneven distribution as well as the ineffectiveness of existing popular frameworks on the issue.
Popular narratives on environmental crisis are often top-down and moralistic. They also do not
produce desirable effects. A cultural studies project on apple snail explores the intersection
between stories people tell about the snail, knowledge production, agriculture policies, and critical
theory.

Interdisciplinary Dialogues
The project hopes to serve interdisciplinary dialogues and pave the way toward actual policy
changes. The project calls for using postcolonial and critical global theory to examine the issue; it
also wants to re-examine these theories in light of the apple snail’s life; other approaches are
highly encouraged.

To what extent can an interdisciplinary approach on apple snail, an agricultural pest in Taiwan and
many rice growing countries (Philippine, Vietnam, Japan and so on) help manage ecological crisis,
articulate history of living together with alien species, understand ways of naturalization and
cross-cultural interactions (between people and people and people and other living beings)?

Possible topics or directions (any innovative approaches are welcome)–

1. 18th century to pre- 1980s account of the Apple snail; this would help us understand
knowledge distribution in a long and uneven global history. (When connecting this to cultural
geography, the slow but alarming history of Apple snail’s colonization shows geography and
taxonomy are far from universal, stable, and objective. While Apple Snails might be known to
be environmentally damaging in one area, various language, knowledge, and economic
barriers might prevent people from making the missing link.)
2. 1980s: what contributes to the spread of Apple Snail in Asia?
3. narratives produced on how Apple snail becomes a local pest. The similarity of the narrative
in different regions (mainland China, Taiwan, and Philippine told the same story); how the
narrative prevents more aggressive preventive measures; and what new narratives do we need
to tell about invasive specie to garner a greater effect?
4. the dissemination of eco knowledge; first world scholarship and third world farmers; to what
extent the uneven distribution of knowledge/power limits the effectiveness of environmental
measures. How do we move forward from there?
5. When economic opportunities enable the apple snail to flow, the loss of economic values free
the snails to a different life cycle. How does this help us understand the life-history of objects
beyond capital flow? The widely studied apple snail provides a body of rich and well-
documented literature for such questions. (intersection between science studies and
globalization theory)
6. thinking global without endorsing wholesale global capital flow: a transnational studies on
the life history of apple snail in different areas would be extremely beneficial; similarly,
efforts to document and understand irrigation system and river system systematically would
help highlight that individual, isolated organic farming would only yield very limited results,
as pest-control measures often need systematic efforts. How to envision way of thinking about
water and river holistically as a system? Does systematic understanding necessarily leads to
management mentality? To what extent centralized government efforts help in coping with this
and similar crisis? Are there ways to promote coordinated efforts and shared consciousness
with or without centralized efforts? (These questions may indirectly help us think about ways
too think ecologically without a totalizing control mentality)

Other innovated approaches are welcome.

What can be done in Taiwan

1. previous government actions (central and local) to understand government measures. This
 would enable analysis on this body of discourse; historical or comparative with other
governments.
2. oral history on the ways farmers in Taiwan cope with the snails; their observation of the
snails’ life cycle as well as their experience of the government’s policies
3. systematic connections: conduct researches on river and irrigation as a system. Examine
existing scientific studies on the connections between fish ponds, farmlands, rivers, urban
plumbing system and other water bodies. In fact, the archetypal narrative of the Apple snail’s
naturalization shows us particular examples and pave new ways of understanding and
theorizing the connection.
4. history of Apple Snail activism: studies of campaigns on apple snail and related ecological
awareness raising project.
With this call for interdisciplinary work, we hope to develop innovative ways to estimate economic
and cultural cost.
5. paper on writing/teaching about apple snail: develop the project as part of an assignment for
courses from various discipline.

An extensive list of existing literature on Apple Snail is on

http://pestalert.applesnail.net/