Recently, the round-up of "strange fish in the lake" in Ruzhou, Henan Province, has aroused concern, and tens of millions of netizens have watched the round-up process online through live broadcasting. So, what's so special about this fish, called the alligator eel?
The picture shows that the water of Yunchan Lake in Ruzhou Central Park, Henan Province, has been drained and professionals are working on the spot.
Earlier, some citizens found a "strange fish" about 80 centimeters long in the lake, with sharp teeth and hauntings, and the number of small fish in the lake was getting smaller and smaller. It was later confirmed that this fish is an exotic species called "alligator eel", which belongs to carnivorous fish, up to 3 meters long, as long as it is a living creature in the water, it is almost all-consuming.
Crocodile eels get their name because they have a crocodile-like short snout and two rows of dagger-like sharp teeth on their upper and lower jaws. It is extremely destructive, if placed in natural waters, it will bring disaster to the water ecology, and it is an out-and-out "water killer". The alligator eel is native to North America and was introduced to the country as an ornamental fish. Some consumers buy out of curiosity, but the crocodile eel grows very fast, and after the general water tank cannot be raised, it will be put into the natural waters, causing serious ecological impact.
At the same time as "fishing for all", the problem of invasion of alien species has also aroused people's attention.
1 What is an alien species
Alien species
Refers to species that do not otherwise belong to an ecosystem, but enter that particular ecosystem through human or natural means.
Exotic pests
Refers to those alien organisms that pose a hazard to the local ecological environment, biodiversity, human and plant health and economic development, including:
• Pests that harm flora and fauna in the traditional sense;
• Pests that pose a threat to or damage to the ecological environment;
• Genetically modified organisms;
• Creatures that can be used as biological warfare agents.
Quarantine pests
Among the alien pests, the organisms that are most harmful to humans, animals and plants, are of potential economic importance to a certain country (region) threatened by them, but have not yet occurred in that country (region), or have occurred in that country (region) but are not widely distributed, and are subject to official control.
Invasion of alien species
Refers to the expansion of an organism from its original distribution area to a new area, in which its offspring can reproduce, spread and continue to survive.
2 Ways in which alien species invade
Natural incoming
Ways to spread alien pests through air currents, water streams, and livestock and poultry.
Artificial introduction
Some units or individuals have introduced a large number of species from abroad or abroad for the purpose of ornamental, biological control and improving economic efficiency.
With the arrival of goods, vehicles and people
3 Hazards of invasion of alien species
01 Impacts on local ecosystems
(1) Occupy the ecological niche of native species, affecting the survival of native species.
In Guangdong, lychee chamomile often covers large areas of bananas, lychees, longan, wild oranges, and some shrubs and trees, making it difficult for these plants to perform normal photosynthesis and dying, and also causing animals (such as macaques) to face severe food shortages.
(2) Secrete and release chemical toxic substances to inhibit the growth of other species.
Yellow-crowned chrysanthemums occupy the original biological growth space, produce allelopathic substances to inhibit crop growth, destroy biodiversity, and even produce more infested hybrid offspring, causing harm to the ecological environment and economic development.
02 Cause huge economic losses
Many alien organisms cause the death of crops and livestock, posing a huge threat to agricultural and forestry production. Introduced and promoted in the 1950s, the water hyacinth has multiplied wildly in recent years, and the annual salvage cost is as high as 5 to 1 billion yuan, and the economic loss caused by it is close to 10 billion yuan; The American spotted fly was first discovered in Hainan in 1993, and has now occurred in all provinces and municipalities across the country, and the cost of controlling the American spotted fly on the mainland is as high as 400 million yuan per year.
03 Threats to human and livestock health
Some invasive alien species pose a direct threat to human health. For example, the pollen produced by ragweed is the main pathogen that causes human pollen allergy, which can lead to "hay fever". 1 m³ There are 40 to 50 grains of ragweed pollen in the air, and people will be infected with hay fever. Every year from July to September, when ragweed flowers and powders, people with allergies will have symptoms such as asthma, sneezing, and runny nose, and those with weak constitutions may have other comorbidities or even death.
4 Current status of continental invasive alien species
Since the reform and opening up, with the rapid development of the mainland's economy, trade and transportation and the rapid increase in the number of people entering and leaving the country, the introduction of alien species has been promoted, and the interaction of various factors has accelerated the spread of alien species on the mainland.
01. The number of people and goods entering and leaving the mainland is increasing rapidly at a rate of more than 10% every year;
02. The introduction of foreign diseases and toxic and harmful substances has accelerated, especially in recent years;
03. The General Administration of Customs issues hundreds of entry bans or early warning circulars every year, and the invasion of alien species has seriously threatened the mainland's economic and social development and national security.
5 "Alien species" around us
Water hyacinth
Water hyacinth is native to South America, introduced to the mainland as an ornamental plant in the early 20th century, and later promoted as pig feed, because of its large number of reproduction, often all over the rivers and lakes, resulting in a large number of aquatic organisms due to lack of oxygen and lack of sunlight and death, destroying the ecological balance in the water.
"A Yellow Flower in Canada"
"Canada's Yellow Flower" is an ornamental plant introduced from North America in Shanghai and other places in the mainland in the 1930s, and later fled into the wild, with a strong ability to reproduce and quickly occupy space, suppressing the growth of native plants and destroying the ecological balance of vegetation in the invading areas.
Brazilian tortoise
The Brazilian tortoise, also known as the red-eared turtle, is mostly native to Brazil and some to the United States. The Brazilian tortoise is recognized worldwide as an ecological killer, and several countries have classified it as a dangerous invasive alien species.
Red fire ants
The red fire ant is a quarantine pest in mainland agriculture, forestry, and inbound plants, and is globally recognized as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species. It can directly eat the seeds, fruits, young shoots, etc. of crops, resulting in a reduction in crop yields and affecting the growth and reproduction of some animals. At the same time, incidents of red fire ants injuring people also occur from time to time. On August 24, 2022, a man in Jieyang, Guangdong Province, was bitten by a red fire ant in the grass and then fell to the ground in shock, fortunately he has now improved due to timely medical treatment.
Fushou snail
Fushou snail, also known as large bottle snail and apple snail, is native to the Amazon River Basin in South America. Introduced to China in the early 1980s as an edible snail, it became a harmful invasive alien species because of its strong adaptability and rapid reproduction. Not only harmful to the environment, Fushou snail is also the intermediate host of Guangzhou tube strong nematode, after eating raw snail meat, if accidentally infected, it will lead to severe headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, coma, and mental abnormalities and other symptoms, severe will die.
Meadow nocturnal moth
Grassland night moth is a migratory pest of the Global Early Warning of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the characteristics of "endemic eating", "endemic growth" and "endemic flight", with strong reproductive ability, rapid migration and spread, and seriously endangering the growth of corn and other crops. In 2019, the grassland moth invaded the mainland for the first time.
Pine wood nematodes
Pine wood nematode, native to North America, parasitizes in pine trees, can cause pine wood nematode disease, with pine brown cattle as the main vector of transmission, is a devastating disease of pine trees, pine trees infected 40 days after death. The disease has a wide range of transmission routes, fast spread, and difficult to prevent and treat, and is known as the "AIDS" of pine trees.
Hollow lotus grass
Produced in Brazil, the hollow lotus steppe, also known as water peanut and drought-loving lotus grass, was introduced to China in the 1930s and is a very harmful species, listed as the first invasive alien species in China.
Coconut heart leaf nails
It is a highly dangerous alien pest native to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and is now widely distributed in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. Coconut palm leaf beetle has the characteristics of fast reproduction, strong destructiveness, and difficult control.
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What can we do if we eat it or "make a decision"?
Dealing with alien species is not only a strict defense. Some people say that in the face of the "foodie attributes" of Chinese, there are no invasive species that cannot be solved. Although it is a joke, we have indeed alleviated the species invasion crisis by eating.
In the sphere of influence of "Chinese cuisine", the invasive species "crayfish" has not yet formed a great harm.
"Foodies" have also lost their hands, the above-mentioned Fushou snail, was originally introduced to the mainland as food, but because of too many parasites, bad taste and other reasons, it was eliminated from the table, escaped to the wild to successfully breed the Fushou snail, and finally became the "great scourge" in the field now.
Rather than being a "foodie", we should pay more attention to "don't release it at will". If you buy it inadvertently, do not discard it casually, in life, if you find suspected invasive alien species, you can also report it as soon as possible and be harmlessly treated by the local management department.
The safety of the country is everyone's responsibility. Customs reminds the general public not to bring or send animals and plants, their products and other quarantine items that are prohibited from entering the country; If you carry or send animals and plants and their products into or out of the country, you should take the initiative to declare; Do not introduce, breed or plant alien species at will; Do not buy foreign pets, flowers and plants and other animals and plants and their products from the Internet; Don't release it at will and avoid doing bad things with good intentions. It is recommended that everyone strengthen their awareness of prevention and jointly safeguard the biosecurity of the country.
The above content is for reference only, please indicate the source "12360 Customs Hotline" when reprinting
Some of the images are from the web
Contributed by: Hohhot Customs
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