China Customs Intercepts Multiple Invasive Species, Safeguarding National Biosafety

April 15 marks National Security Education Day. At a press conference held by the General Administration of Customs on the same day, several recently intercepted "threats" to biosafety were disclosed. Zhuhai Customs seized serrasalmus manueli, a fish with saw-like teeth, from incoming passengers’ belongings; port customs has repeatedly detected mango seed weevils hidden in mango pits, which can cause more than 70% damage to mangoes; and the Mediterranean fruit fly, recognized globally as the most destructive agricultural pest, has also been frequently found in fruits carried by incoming passengers.

"These alien species have no natural distribution in China. Once introduced and established, they are likely to damage China’s ecological environment security and biodiversity, resulting in severe ecological and economic impacts," said Wang Yiyu, Director of the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine of the General Administration of Customs. According to China Customs News, to prevent the introduction of animal and plant epidemics and alien species invasion, customs across the country have continuously carried out the "Three-Year Special Campaign to Strictly Prevent Alien Species Invasion", strengthening the application of new technologies to eliminate potential threats.

In the first quarter of this year alone, Chinese customs seized more than 1,000 "exotic pets" from incoming passengers’ belongings, mail and express items, including arthropods such as beetles, amphibians such as salamanders, and reptiles such as lizards and snakes. In recent years, a boom in keeping "exotic pets" has emerged among pet lovers pursuing fashion and novelty.

Wang Yiyu reminded that illegally introduced "exotic pets" are unquarantined and may carry various epidemic diseases, threatening human health; once entering the natural environment after entry, they may damage China’s biodiversity and ecological security. Relevant laws strictly prohibit the illegal carrying and mailing of animals, plants and their products into the country.

To strengthen the national biosafety barrier, the General Administration of Customs, together with multiple departments, has issued the List of Key Controlled Alien Species at Ports for the first time, which includes highly toxic red imported fire ants, cane toads and forest snails harmful to agricultural production. The list will take effect on May 1 this year.

With the May Day holiday approaching, Wang Yiyu reminded the public traveling abroad not to carry or mail favorite animal and plant products from their destinations, fresh fruits and alien species into the country. Customs will impose penalties in accordance with the Biosecurity Law if species in the list are seized.

To ensure the safety of imported agricultural products, customs has established "three lines of defense": overseas source control, port inspection and quarantine, and domestic follow-up supervision. According to CCTV News, new technologies are playing a key role in early detection and early warning. "Our intelligent identification model for alien harmful organisms can recognize more than 1,000 species of insects and weeds with an accuracy rate of over 90%," said Liu Jian, Deputy Director of the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine.

The "human-machine-dog" collaborative inspection model is also widely applied. At the press conference, several sniffer dogs demonstrated on-site inspection, accurately finding illegally carried items such as ants, plant seeds and fruits within tens of seconds, reducing the unpacking rate and optimizing the customs clearance experience.