A caution tonight to farmers – your livestock, your crops and even you could be in danger due to the presence of the New Guinea flatworm, an invasive species recently spotted here on the island.
The New Guinea flatworm is described as a predatory, terrestrial flatworm. Usually around 1.5 to 5 inches in length, it has a shiny, dark brown/ black body with a pale stripe running down the middle, and a pale grey to pinkish beige underside.
Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society, James Paul spoke exclusively to CBC News about the recent sightings of the flatworm in parts of Christ Church.
New Guinea is its country of origin and how it got here is still unclear.
The BAS CEO strongly believes it’s the result of people trying to sneak animals, plants or other genetic material into Barbados.
He’s worried it could be a repeat of what happened with the Giant African snail, which caused widespread destruction to crops.
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