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full screen The invasive flatworm Obama nungara described as “potentially very harmful”. Archive image. Photo: Jonas Roth/Handout Via TT
In Skåne, dogs are being trained to be able to sniff out the invasive flatworm Obama nungara, Sydsvenskan reports. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency takes the flatworm findings seriously and has turned to the government with demands for emergency measures.
The worm has been found in a plantation in central Malmö and at several nurseries in southern Sweden.
It is described by the Skåne county board as “potentially very harmful”, because it eats other worms. It can be a threat to food production, because earthworms are so important to the ecosystem as they break down plant parts and create new soil, emphasizes Nils Carlsson, the county board’s expert on invasive species.
– There is a lot of talk about the need to strengthen our preparedness. Then we cannot let in species that risk reducing our food production, he says to Sydsvenskan.
In Skåne, specially trained dogs are training to sniff out the mask.
– If the dogs are safe enough, you can scan a large material without lifting every single plant and every single pot, says Nils Carlsson to the newspaper.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency expects to receive notification from the government about emergency measures next week. This would mean, among other things, that it becomes a criminal offense not to act if you discover the flatworm in nurseries or on your property.