Basic Principles to Deal with Detection of a Quarantine Pest (Notice of the Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of No. 650, Shouan 24 of 17 May 2012).

In the event of detection of a quarantine pest that could cause great damage to economic plants if it spreads throughout Japan, the national government and the prefectures must collaborate in accordance with the Plant Protection Act (Act No. 151 of 1950) and take prompt and proper measures necessary to control and prevent the spread thereof. The purpose of these basic principles is to specify the roles of the national government and prefectures and the standard procedures for taking precautionary measures to control a quarantine pest on any injurious pest or injurious plant that is newly introduced into Japan, conduct proper surveillance and identification of an injurious pest, carry out an efficient analysis of the risk of a quarantine pest, and make decisions concerning pest control measures based on scientific knowledge. In order to immediately take proper actions after the detection of a quarantine pest, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries must set up the contact points to communicate with the prefectural departments in charge of plant protection such as a pest control station and also with pest experts in universities and other specialized agencies and notify each prefecture of those contact points.