An information exchange system is being established to help government organizations organize resistance and responses to alien invasive species.

Alien invasive species are those introduced from abroad that cause damage to local ecosystems, threaten native species and lead to losses of local biodiversity.

Such species bring about nearly 120 billion yuan (US$14.5 billion) of losses in China every year.

The move is being made to coordinate efforts interdepartmentally as well as cross-regionally.

Cai Lei, of the State Environmental Protection Administration biodiversity and biosafety office, said government bodies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Environmental Protection Administration and the State Forestry Administration are involved exchange system on the central government level.

Similar provincial-level systems will be set up to prevent the species' spreading from one region to another, she said.

Officials are also discussing whether such species should be listed on the agenda of a ministerial conference on species protection. The first such conference was held last August and plans call for them to be held twice yearly.

Xu Haigen, director of the Division of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity of the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, said many people lack sufficient knowledge about the impact of alien species on ecosystems and the environment and therefore pay no attention to the problem.

Some believe that alien plants are better than native ones. Xu said almost all the grass seeds for lawns are imported from abroad. However, no risk assessments are conducted before introducing alien species and their management is insufficient.

A national survey conducted in 2001 and 2003 indicates that there are 283 alien invasive species in the country, ranging from microorganisms to plants to reptiles. Nearly 40 percent of the species were deliberately introduced for specific purposes, but then proved to be disastrous for local ecosystems. About 49 percent entered the country accidentally in the process of trade and then developed into damaging wild species.

(China Daily June 28, 2004)