International perspective

1. International perspective • Political boundaries mean nothing to movement of species from around the world. • In today’s world most countries suffer similar problems from the effects of unwanted alien species. • The multitude introduction pathways necessitates international and regional cooperation among countries to stop introduction and reverse impacts of alien invasive species. • Fortunately, as awareness grows in public and government agencies, action is being taken! http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004ZDJG.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

2. International agencies AGENCIES, ORGANISATIONS & AGREEMENTS • Over 40 international conventions, agreements and guidelines have been enacted for addressing the problem of IAS (Shine et al, 2000).

3. International agencies

4. International agencies

5. International agencies

6. The United States

7. Australia

8. CBD • CBD emphasises identifying pathways by which an IAS might gain entry and of developing measures to minimise risk of introductions. • Article 8 (h) states: • "Each Contracting Party shall, as far as possible and as appropriate: ...(h) Prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.“ • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety - rules for managing introduction of potentially invasive GMOs. • CBD identifies gaps in international legal framework where AIS aren’t regulated, and it encourages development of national strategies and mechanisms to combat AIS.

9. GISP • GISP began in 1996. • Hundreds of scientists all over the world participate in this programme. • By 2001, 42 governments had subscribed to GISP, two industries, nine NGOs, two international conventions (CBD and Ramsar) and other partners, including donor agencies. • GISP has been developing resources to enable countries to tackle the threat posed by IAS, including the Toolkit of Best Prevention and Management Practices.

10. IMO • The IMO has been working on ballast water management for more than 10yrs. • No approach is 100% effective (filtration, heat treatment, UV treatment, ozone treatment, chemical treatment). • The Global Ballast Water Management Programme is a cooperative initiative involving six initial pilot countries (Brazil, China, India, Iran, South Africa, Ukraine), GEF, UNDP and IMO, and the shipping and port industries

11. IUCN • The IUCN has within it a group called the Invasive Species Specialist Group, forming part of the Species Survival Commission and comprised of 146 scientists and policy experts for 41 countries. • Based in New Zealand, with three regional sections, (North America, Europe and South Asia), this group provides IUCN members, conservationists and decision-makers with technical assistance regarding threats caused by invasive alien species and methods for their containment or eradication. • The ISSG has developed a list of “One Hundred of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species”.

12. WTO • The World Trade Organisation has mechanisms such as: • Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (1995) • Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement • Article 20 which states that members should take measures to “protect human, animal and plant health and life” • The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other trade bodies can and should promote a global strategy on invasive alien species

13. CEC • One of the most important efforts to combat the problem of IAS in the American continent is being carried out by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America which forms part of NAFTA. • The commission aims to have Mexico, USA and Canada work together to prevent negative impacts on the environment, conserve shared spaces and species, and challenges, including IAS.

14. NECIS • The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) is made up of a dozen national and regional conservation groups that promote sound state, federal, and international policy. • The group seeks to prevent harmful non-native, or invasive, species from being introduced, becoming established, and spreading in the US and other nations. • The coalition supports ecologically sound methods of prevention, research, control, and eradication. • NECIS aims to enhance cooperation among environmental, recreational, and other natural resource-oriented or scientific non-profit groups.

15. National Invasive Species Council • On January 18, 2001, the National Invasive Species Council approved a National Invasive Species Management Plan, which has major implications for the future introduction of plant species in USA (Harrington et al, 2003). • The council is an inter-departmental one that helps to coordinate and ensure complementary, cost-efficient and effective Federal activities regarding invasive species. The Council was established February 3, 1999 by Bill Clinton in Executive Order 13112. http://parallel.park.org/UnitedStates/bill-portrait.gif

16. USDA’s NRCS • Sometimes it is the same agencies that control and that encourage the entry of alien species….. • The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service – during the 1930s distributed ± 85 million kudzu seedlings for land revitalisation! • By the 1950s, kudzu was a nuisance species, and by 1991 it infested almost 7 million acres! (Schmitz and Simberloff, 1999)

17. Policies and legislation • Most countries have laws that, in one form or another, can be applied to the prevention, containment or eradication of invasive alien species causing damage. • President Clinton signed Executive Order 13112 of 1999: (mentioned in Chapter 1) • James Carlton likened USA policy on invasive species to ‘ecological roulette’. Only a small proportion of potentially damaging species are evaluated for invasiveness before import, and then excluded if their risks are unacceptably high (UCS, 2001). http://parallel.park.org/UnitedStates/bill-portrait.gif

18. Zebra Mussel • The zebra mussel is theposter speciesfor invasive species law in USA. • Its arrival led to the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, which becametheNational Invasive Species Act (NISA)of 1996. • It directs the US Coast Guard to ensure that ships headed for the Great Lakes exchange their freshwater ballast water with salt water. • TheFederal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 and theLacey Act of 1900 are two major US laws that restrict entry of non-indigenous spp. They useblacklists- they permit a sp. to be imported until declared undesirable (Schmitz and Simberloff, 1999). http://www.starfish.govt.nz/shared-graphics-small/zebra-mussel-small.jpg

19. Australian management policies http://www.publispain.com/super-posters/Actors-PaulHoganCrocodileDundee.htm • Australia had policies for quarantine and screening, for a sp. that has been declared a weed or noxious pest, with no steps in between. They couldn’t legally stop invasions before they became uncontrollable. • Bryophyllumwas foreseen to be a problem in Queensland, but the authorities wouldn’t deal with it while it was restricted to cities and suburbs. Now it’s too late! There is no legal onus on crop planters to control them, unless the sp. is on a State or Territory noxious plant list. Weeds are landowner responsibility. • Wildlife Protection Act of 1984 stated that no new non-natives were to be introduced if there was evidence that they could pose problems (they would have to first be proved ‘non-noxious’). http://www.wala.de/english/pflanze/archiv/bryo.htm

20. Policy in New Zealand • New Zealand’s Biosecurity Act of 1993 controls unintentional introductions, applies a risk management based approach to control, and emphasises the importance of consulting with local, expert and tribal stakeholders. • NZ Department of Agriculture and Forestry is responsible for the bulk of species control. • Departments of Health, Conservation and the Ministry of Fisheries are responsible for pests, diseases and marine incursions. • The Hazardous Substance and New Organisms Act of 1996 controls deliberate introductions of new organisms. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/1995/06/19/srnewz19.xml

21. Maradona • Argentina has a struggling economy, which means little focus is placed on aquatic environmental issues such as non-indigenous invasions. • There are no plans, no contingencies and virtually nothing is being done to combat their invasive species problems (Pablo Vigliano, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina). http://mundial.espndeportes.com/story?id=203650&lang=es

22. Links to other chapters Next Chapter 1Definitions Chapter 2History, globalisation and GMOs Chapter 3The human dimension Chapter 4 Pathways of introduction Chapter 5 Characteristics of invasive alien species Chapter 6 The ecology of biological invasions Chapter 7 Impacts of invasive alien species Chapter 8 Invasive species management Chapter 9 Predicting invasive spp. occurrence and spread Chapter 10 Ecological restoration Chapter 11 International perspective Chapter 12 South African perspective I hope that you found chapter 11 fun to do and that you will enjoy the last chapter in this course.