Customs seizure of brown widow spiders in an international voyage ship

Recently in Nanjing Customs District, a Panama ship coming from Oceania was quarantined at the Nantong port as customs officers of Nantong Customs House seized more than 100 brown widow spiders and numerous spider egg-capsules in the ship.

The brown widow spider with venom, widely existing in the tropical region, is aggressive and harmful to human being. If imported and populated in China, such spiders will be a severe threat to domestic life and eco-environment. 

By checking the ship’s logbook, the officers found that the international ship has ever carried wood in south Pacific tropical areas from August 6 to September 3. Thus, the venom spiders might get aboard with the wood.

According to customs reminder: the ship owner must provide the crew with training on how to prevent and dispose venom spiders and with first-aid medicine; water blast gun can be used to make thorough flushing to the cabin and the living area at each corner; the crew should make frequent inspections during the voyage and immediately remove such spiders when found.