Codes of Conduct and Guidelines

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Recognition that introduction of threatened fish can alter biodiversity and survival of other organisms

"Restrict introductions to within the native or historic habitat whenever possible"

"Prohibit introductions into areas where the endangered or threatened fish could hybridize with other species or subspecies"

"Prohibit introductions into areas where other rare or endemic taxa could be adversely affected"

"Examine introduction stock for presence of undesirable pathogens"

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Unintentional and intentional introductions

• Import
• Ballast water

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15 Guiding Principles pertaining to invasive species:
Precautionary approach, Three-stage hierarchical approach, Ecosystem approach, State Responsibility, Research and Monitoring, Education and Public Awareness, Border Control and Quarantine Measures, Exchange of Information, Cooperation and Capacity-building, Intentional Introduction, Unintentional Introductions, Mitigation of Impacts, Eradication, Containment, and Control

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The code is meant to:

• encourage responsible and generally accepted trade practices,
• assist countries to design regulations to control the suitability and quality of imported exotic biological control agents and to address the safe handling, assessment and use of such products,
• promote the safe use of biological control agents for the improvement of agriculture, and human, animal and plant health,
• allow all those involved in the import or release of exotic biological control agents to determine if, in the context of the International Plant Protection Convention and other relevant conventions and legislation, their proposed actions and the actions of others constitute acceptable practices.

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Unintentional and intentional introductions

Capture and trade of fish and fishery products

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Art. 9.2.3: 'States should consult with their neighboring States, as appropriate, before introducing non-indigenous species into transboundary aquatic ecosystems."

Art. 9.3.1: "Efforts should be undertaken to minimize the harmful effects of introducing non-native species or genetically altered stocks… into waters, especially where there is a significant potential for the spread of such non-native species or genetically altered stocks into waters under the jurisdiction of other States as well as waters under the jurisdiction of the State of origin. States should, whenever possible, promote steps to minimize adverse genetic, disease and other effects of escaped farmed fish on wild stocks."

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Intentional introduction

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N/A

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Ballast water

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1.1: Recognition of ballast water as the "most prominent" media of transferring invasive species

7.1.1: "Every ship that carries ballast water should be provided with a ballast water management plan to assist in the minimization of transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens."

8.2.2: "Port States should inform local agents and/or the ship of areas and situations where the uptake of ballast water should be minimized, such as: areas with outbreaks, infestations or know populations of harmful organisms and pathogens…"

9.1.1: "When loading ballast, every effort should be made to avoid the uptake of ptentially harmful aquatic organisms, pathogens and sediment that may contain such organisms."

Code/Guideline:

IUCN Guidelines for the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss Csaused by Alien Invasive Species (PDF | 85 KB)

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Unintentional and intentional introductions

• Trade
• Tourism
• Ballast water

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Guidelines to give effect to Article 8 (h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity: "Prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species."

Meant to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of alien species

Provides guidelines for: prevention, eradication, control and reintroduction

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Unintentional introductions: use of live fish bait, tourist transfer, cross-regional civil engineering projects

Intentional introductions: release of captive-bred or newly-domesticated organisms, trade in alien species, reintroductions, re-stocking

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Statement

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Intentional introduction of captive-bred individuals

Measures taken to prevent unintentional introduction of alien pathogens

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Meant to allow for introduction of endangered species; mentions non-indigenous species as a threat to re-introduction, but also recognizes potential dangers of re-introduction itself

Evaluation of re-introduction site (allows and calls for elimination of specific non-indigenous species):

4a (iv): "Identification and elimination…of previous causes of decline: could include disease; … competition with or predation by introduced species"

Unintentional introduction of pathogens
4a (v): "Any animals found to be infected or which test positive for non-endemic or contagious pathogens with a potential impact on population levels, must be removed from the consignment"

Recognition of transboundary migration
4 (b): "In the case of migratory/mobile species, provisions should be made for crossing of international/state boundaries"

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Unintentional and intentional introductions

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Article V: "Aquaculture must work closely with federal, state, and provincial regulators to control epizootic disease outbreaks, to prevent the release of exotic species into the wild… Where possible, federal, state, and provincial managers will encourage the aquaculture industry to use indigenous species in its facilities."

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Intentional introduction

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Used as interim mechanism during the development of the Biosafety Protocol; now used for "purposes of facilitating the development of national capacities to assess and manage risks, establish adequate information systems and develop expert human resources in biotechnology."

Paragraph 26: "there is a need for the exchange and supply of scientific information in cases where organisms with novel traits are intended to be released into new environments and when transfer of such organisms is being considered"

Paragraph 42: "The potentially affected country should be given notice of the intended use and the opportunity to state whether particular measures will be needed to protect its interests, in particular its biodiversity; (and) should be informed immediately in the event of an adverse effect of the use of a organism with novel traits which could affect it"

Annex 3: potentially relevant information for introductions

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Plant and animal aquatic nuisance species
Mentioned specifically:

Zebra mussel, purple loosestrife, sea lamprey, water hyacinth, Chinese carp, hydrilla, Eurasian water milfoil, Asian swamp eel

Pathways:

Intentional release

Unintentional introduction: Boats, boat anchors, diving equipment, seaplanes, live bait

Relevance:

Precautionary techniques for safe removal of aquatic nuisance species from equipment to prevent translocation