Last year, the EU added the large spotted land flatworm to the Union list, forbidding the possession, trade, breeding, transport and import of this harmful exotic organism. Sweden and Finland have introduced strict rules to prevent the Obama nungara from entering the country. As a result, exporting plants to these countries has become very complex and expensive.
Every day, Blomsterlandet, a chain of more than 60 garden centres in Sweden, enlists a specialist company with four dogs to check its imported plants for large spotted flatworm. According to Jan Janssen, buyer for the garden centre chain, this works quite well. Nine times out of ten when a dog alerts, there is actually a worm in the pot. If a worm is found, the plants are placed in quarantine and cannot be transported further until they are clear of the pest. If another worm is found at that stage, there may even be a fine, though, in practice, that has not yet happened, Janssen notes.
Sweden takes a tough stance on Obama nungara, as the worm in question is known in Latin. The Swedes fear that the organism will establish itself in the Scandinavian country and feed on earthworms there. A decline in the earthworm population would affect soil structure and, subsequently, agricultural yields and natural vegetation. This is why Sweden introduced strict measures at the start of last year, followed by Finland. Any plants entering these countries must be checked for the worm by the importer. Some importers subject the plants to a hot-water treatment of at least 40 degrees Celsius, but this is time-consuming and labour-intensive.
