Shanghai is setting up a system to guard its urban green areas and forest farms against domestic and foreign pests.

The Shanghai Landscape and Forestry Bureau has announced that upon completion, no later than next year, the system will detect any harmful organism that might hurt local plants or even humans, and kill it.

Engineer Ju Ruiting is one of the team directors carrying out the project.

He said it was necessary for Shanghai to set up such a system, and soon.

Pests come in with imported goods, on vehicles from other countries or other Chinese cities, or from tourists.

They pose a serious threat to the city's plants and make Shanghai lose 3 billion yuan (US$360 million) every year, according to Ju.

He said: "The banana moth, for example, is a pest which comes in with Dracaena fragrans, an imported plant, and kills more than half of the plants the city grows in public places.

"And as we also grow some plants to export, the appearance of certain pests could cost us dearly.

"If the pests can be found earlier, before they start to cause so much damage, things will be much easier.

"We experts will oversee the emergence of any potentially dangerous organisms in the country and around the world, study whether the organisms could harm local plants and how badly, and come up with appropriate solutions," said Ju.

More than 60 surveillance sites will be set up across the city, mainly in parks and other public places, to watch out for pests on the list given out by experts.

A database of pest organisms will also be set up and will be open to the public, allowing any individual or organization to report finding a pest.

"Once a pest outbreak is seen, the information will be passed to customs, all relevant entry inspection institutions and relevant industries, and appropriate solutions will begin." 

(China Daily February 21, 2005)