Investigation And Analysis Of The Harmful Insects And Weeds Imported From Beilun Port Containers, Ningbo, China

With the acceleration of global economic integration, the frequency of international trade and contact is rising on a daily basis. Meanwhile, containers acquire growing dominance in circulation as a convenient "door to door" means of transportation. Every year, Ningbo, an open port city, receives an increasing volume of cargos transported through containers. The continuous trade development in Ningbo Beilun Port however leads to the increase in the number of invasive alien species. As a result, inspection conducted to determine the main sources, species and quantity of those foreign insects and weeds should be analyzed and relevant quarantine measures should be proposed and enforced accordingly, which are of great significance in the prevention of the intrusion from alien species, thus safeguarding national ecosystem.From2006to2009, the situation and conditions of Beilun Port were systematically investigated in the search of foreign insects and weeds from containers. The places subject to scrutiny included:Section1container yard under the jurisdiction of Beilun Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of P.R.C, the check points of the relevant enterprises, Section5container yard under the jurisdiction of Beilun Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the container yard under the jurisdiction of Bonded-area office of Ningbo Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of P.R.C and check points of some relevant enterprises. Both full and empty transit containers were inspected. As a result, in full containers, the number of insect specimens intercepted and captured totaled121and1000times per species, weed specimens65and853times per species, medical medium insects58and2518times per species. In the contrast, in the empty containers insect specimens intercepted and captured totaled14and70times per species and medical medium insects11and389times per species.The systematic analysis of those harmful insects and weeds intercepted and captured during the inspection of the containers entering the Beilun Port leads to the conclusion that the epidemic situation of the fauna and flora and medical vectors is of diversified variety, large quantity and high danger. The variety and quantity of the insects and medical vectors intercepted and captured from the containers from America top the list, followed by Germany. The empty containers" epidemic situation is far better. The weed seeds intercepted and captured are only found in containers carrying imported grains while none in empty containers. Judged from the monthly epidemic situations, the number of the alien species intercepted is proportional to the increase in temperature. Therefore, in the prevention of intrusion from the harmful foreign insects and defense of national ecological security, the Department of Beilun Port Inspection and Quarantine should performance their responsibility earnestly:to analyze and appraise the risks according to the characteristics of the intercepted epidemic situation; to adopt a number of measures accordingly with the aim at strengthening the inspection of the transit containers and give more importance to the inspection of empty containers as well as those carrying weed seeds; thus eradicating the inflow and spread of the epidemics and diseases caused by the invasive alien species and medical vectors.