On March 15, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The commercial reserves of the Roman snail in the Vitebsk region amount to over 200 tons, as reported to BELTA correspondent by Zhanna Aleinikova, Head of the Department of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. The largest volumes of snails have been identified in the Gluboksky, Ushachsky, and Chashniksky districts. Here, reserves are estimated at 46.6 tons, 32 tons, and 27 tons, respectively. In the Verkhnedvinsky, Lioznensky, Tolochinsky, Dokshitsky, and Dubrovensky districts, the actual volumes of commercial snail reserves have not yet been determined. As Zhanna Aleinikova explained, district authorities, in accordance with the government's resolution, can put up for auction the right to harvest (purchase) wild animals not classified as hunting or fishing objects. At the same time, scientists have established that about half of the commercial reserves can be extracted without detriment to nature. The right to hold tenders for snail harvesting is also available to those districts where the actual determination of commercial reserves has not been carried out. However, they can offer for auction a volume based on a minimum commercial reserve of 0.5 tons, with subsequent justification and the compilation of biological assessments. Currently, the first auction for the sale of the right to harvest Roman snails has been successfully held in the region. It was conducted by the Chashniksky District Executive Committee. In early April, similar tenders will be held in the Postavsky district. The Roman snail is a terrestrial gastropod mollusc that has been used by humans for food since ancient times. The species inhabits thickets of shrubs, light forest edges, gardens, and parks. The snail is active from spring until the first frosts. According to European marketers, over 100,000 tons of Roman snails are consumed annually, with demand exceeding supply and being met only two-thirds of the way. Due to the absence of large natural populations in Western Europe, market needs are met through imports of snails from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Southwest Asia. A snail weighing 20-25 grams and measuring about 5 cm is considered "marketable." One kilogram typically consists of 40-50 snails. -0-

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