Transcript WEME Conservation Management Team

Non-native species – GB Progress 2001-07
Niall Moore
Head of the GB Non-native Species Secretariat
Are invasive species amongst the big
issues?
Second biggest threat to biodiversity worldwide
- Biggest threat on islands
“The most important direct drivers of
biodiversity loss and ecosystem service
changes are habitat change …, climate
change, invasive alien species,
overexploitation, and pollution.”
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report
Non-native species in GB
 In England - 2,721 non-native species
 In Scotland – 988 non-native species
 C. 70% vascular plants
 Negative impacts
 71 moderately/highly negative in Scotland
 19 ‘strongly negative’ in England
International commitments
 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
 Bern Convention
 Ramsar Convention
 European Birds Directive
 European Habitats Directive (natural habitats and wild fauna
and flora)
 EC 2006 Communication on Halting Loss of Biodiversity by
2010
Progress 2001 - 2003
 2001 - Policy Review
launched
 2003 - Policy Review Group
report
 2003 - Govt response &
consultation
Policy Review report – 8 Recommendations
 A single lead co-ordinating organisation
 Comprehensive risk assessment
 Develop codes of conduct
 Targeted education and awareness
 Revise and update existing legislation
 Establish adequate monitoring and surveillance
 Develop policies for control of established and new invasives
 Forum for stakeholder engagement
Progress since 2003
 2004 Stakeholder Forum established
 2004/5 Development of Risk Assessment methodology
 2005/6 NERC Act (s.50 sales ban, and s.51 codes of practice)
 Co-ordination
 2005 – GB Programme Board established
 2006 - GB Programme Board Secretariat
 GB Strategy Working Group
Key GB Mechanism Components
GB Programme
Board
Secretariat
Risk Analysis Panel
GB Strategy
Working
Group & Others
Stakeholder Forum
Stakeholder
Sounding
Board
GB Programme Board
 Leadership and oversight on non-native species policy
 Co-ordination in delivering key strategic objectives
 10 members – all government
GB NNS Programme Board
GB Programme Board Secretariat
 Niall Moore and Diane Owen
 Provides the essential administrative support for the Programme
Board, Stakeholder Forum, Working Groups, Risk Analysis
Panel etc.
 Drives implementation of actions decided by the Board
 The key link between the Board and stakeholders
 Industry, NGOs, NDPBs, Govt Agencies etc.
 Expected to become a very important GB contact point
GB Strategy - development to date
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Working group started in March
06
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Content considered at
Stakeholder Forum
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Draft strategy approved by
Board in December
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Ministerial approval in February
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Public consultation on Strategy
 March – May 2007
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Full implementation for 2010
Strategy Working Group members
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Defra Policy leads
JNCC
SEERAD
Plant Health Division
Dept for Transport
HM Revenue & Customs
Natural England
Environment Agency
Network Rail
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Welsh Assembly Government
Countryside Council for Wales
Central Science Laboratory
Wildlife & Countryside Link
Scottish Environment Link
Ornamental & Aquatic Trade
Assn.
Horticultural Trade Assn
Prof Jeff Waage
Maritime and Coastguard
Agency
Strategy covers:
49 Key actions cover
 Prevention
 Early detection, surveillance, monitoring and rapid response
 Mitigation, control and eradication
 Building awareness and understanding
 Legislation
 Research
 Information exchange and integration
Important strategy policy linkages
 Plant Health Strategy
 Animal Health & Welfare Strategy
 Wildlife Health Strategy
 International Convention for the Control and Management of
Ships Ballast Water and Sediments
 Biodiversity Action Planning
Risk Analysis
 Risk analysis panel
established – Dec 2006
 Horizon Scanning
 RA will underpin
 Decision making
 Prioritisation
 Risk management
options
Monitoring and surveillance
 Scoping study 2007
 BRC/BTO/MBA
 Aim - to make
recommendations on
comprehensive NNS
monitoring scheme for
GB
 Established NNS
 Interceptions
Rapid Intervention
 Rapid response is key
 Saves resources:
 Water Primrose - 10K
 (J. Knotweed – 1.5 Billion)
 Minimises impact
 Bullfrogs and chytrid
fundus
Large-scale Control: Ruddy Duck
eradication
 Programme started in
Autumn 2005
 Population – 4,411
 18 months later
 900 remain
 Team of 10 staff
 5 years duration
 Cull programmes
 France, Spain, (Portugal,
Morocco, Denmark,
Iceland)
Ruddy ducks: the pan-European campaign
Ruddy Ducks and Hybrids shot in Spain
Ruddy Ducks shot in the UK
2500
30
2000
25
Ruddy Ducks
Hybrids
20
1500
15
1000
10
500
5
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
1993
1991
1989
1987
1985
0
1983
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
0
2006
2005
2004
2005
2003
0
2002
0
2001
20
2000
20
1997
40
2003
40
2001
60
1999
60
1997
80
1995
80
1993
100
1991
100
1989
120
1987
120
1985
140
1983
140
1999
Ruddy Ducks shot in France
1998
Ruddy Ducks and Hybrids shot in Europe
Engagement with stakeholders
 Govt. does not have all the answers
 Despite out-numbering others 10: 1
 “Talk to industry don't just talk about industry!”
 Engage from the start
 Defra-led review did not for many months
 Informal consultations are extremely useful for both sides
 Include stakeholders in all processes
 Avoids feelings of exclusion
 Treat all sectors equally at meetings
Stakeholder engagement 2
 "Everyone contributed to causing the problem
and everyone needs to be part of the
solution"
 This includes Government
 Is government implementing what it expects others to
do?
 Horticulture code of Practice
Stakeholder engagement (GB, to date)
 Stakeholder Forum
 NGO and Industry input
 Talks
 Workshops
 Sounding Board
 For semi-formal consultations
 In advance of PB meetings
 Regular meetings with stakeholders
 Secretariat website www.nonnativespecies.org
 Public Awareness Working Group
Stakeholder engagement: achievements
 GB Strategy – high degree of agreement
 Industry, Conservation NGOs and Govt.
 Pre-consultations prior to legislating
 Codes of Practice
 Good industry engagement
 Horticulture – 2005
 Companion animal – in progress
 Practical results –
 OATA Plastic bags –
 ‘Ornamental fish and plants bought for aquariums and ponds must
never be released into the wild’
 Over 1,000,000 bags to public annually
Policy Review report - Key
Recommendations:
 A single lead co-ordinating organisation 
 Comprehensive risk assessment 
 Develop codes of conduct In Progress
 Targeted education and awareness
 Revise and update existing legislation In Progress
 Establish adequate monitoring and surveillance In Progress
 Develop policies for control of established and new invasives
 Forum for stakeholder engagement 
Pause for thought…
 GB administrations will establish the “big machinery”
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Risk Analysis
Comprehensive monitoring
Better prevention measures
Strategic research
Increased public awareness
Legislation
 Responsibility for addressing the impacts of invasive non-native
species is shared – not all down to government to fix
 Successful strategy implementation needs strong stakeholder
commitment and partnerships
Convention on Biological Diversity:Article 8 – In Situ Conservation:
 (h) Prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien
species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species;
Decision VI/23 called, inter alia, for:
 National strategies and plans
 Adopted the Guiding Principles, the second of which sets out
the 3 stage hierarchical approach: (i) prevention; (ii) early
detection and rapid reaction and (iii) eradication, containment
and long term control
Bern Convention:Under article 11(2), each Contracting Party undertakes:
 to strictly control the introduction of non-native species.
European Strategy on Invasive Alien Species, by Genovesi and
Shine published in 2003.
Ramsar Convention:Resolution VIII.18 on Invasive Species and Wetlands, amongst
other actions, calls for:
 Risk assessments and,
 Development and implementation of national strategies.
Operational objective 5 of the 2003 – 2008 Ramsar Strategic Plan
is wholly concerned with invasive alien species
EU Birds and Habitats Directives: Article 11 Birds Directive: Member states shall see that any
introduction of species of bird which do not occur naturally in the
wild state in the European territory of the member states does
not prejudice the local flora and fauna.
 Article 22(b) Habitats Directive: ensure that the deliberate
introduction into the wild of any species which is not native to
their territory is regulated so as not to prejudice natural habitats
within their natural range or the wild native fauna and flora and,
if they consider it necessary, prohibit such introduction.