The fires, mainly in Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Gansu, Guizhou, Qinghai, Tibet and Yunnan, had destroyed over 7,000 hectares of forestry by the end of March, said the State Forestry Administration, which issued the notice.

The administration urged the regions to adopt measures to help prevent future fires.

With temperatures now climbing, the number of fires may rise drastically, experts said.

Those who set them must be punished according to laws and regulations, the administration said.

Fire departments and other authorities should sign responsibility contracts and address the causes of the problem, it said.

It stressed the need for early detection of forest fires through remote sensing satellite technology, observation towers, air and ground patrols.

In another development, senior forestry researchers have called on the government to speed up the introduction of a certification regime and a supervisory system to guarantee sustainable development of the forestry industry.

Researchers with the Chinese Academy of Forestry are drafting a certification system in China to work towards sustainable forestry development, said Shen Xiaohui, a senior engineer with the administration.

China needs to use timber more sensibly and cannot solve shortages by depending totally on timber imports, Shen said.

Research can also be conducted on substitute materials for timber, such as bamboo, steel, plastic and glass, he added.

(China Daily April 24, 2003)