Transcript Screening Animal Imports

Screening Animal Imports
Jennifer Nalbone
Invasive Species and Navigation
An international coalition dedicated to protecting and restoring the
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River ecosystem
www.glu.org
Importation impacts
in the Great Lakes
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NOAA: 186 non-native aquatic species in the
Great Lakes and counting
48 were imported into North America, or into
the region (stocked, planted, pet,
aquaria, aquaculture)
Plant Imports: APHIS rulemaking
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USDA proposed rulemaking for screening
imported plants for invasiveness or
disease
“Q-37” is the principal regulation governing
the import of plants.
Comment period ended Oct, 2009.
Policy Gap:
Non-native Wildlife Imports
If only…
Scope of Screening Challenge
From 2000-2004:
2,241 non-native terrestrial and aquatic animal
species imported into the U.S.
Import
Quantity
Total Number
of Counted
Specimens
Additional
Total Uncounted
Imports, by Weight
5 year total
1,073,796,735
5,186,644 kilos
214,759,347
1,037,329 kilos
588,000
specimens
plus 2,842 kilos
or > 3 tons (US)
Annual
Average
Daily
average
Diseases introduced to the U.S.
via imports of live animals
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Heartwater
 Through a tick on African tortoises, impacts livestock
Monkeypox Virus
 Through giant gambian rats,
impacts humans and prairie
dogs
Chytridiomycosis and Ranavirus
 Through American bullfrogs,
(native species bred overseas)
impacts amphibians
What is Currently Screened:
Broken Screens Summary: 2000-2004
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2,241 identified non-native aquatic or terrestrial
animal species imported
302 of those met the basic criteria for regulation:
presented potential invasiveness and/or disease
risk
Only 34 of those 302 have a regulatory
restriction in place by USFWS (18), APHIS (5) or
CDC (11)
Federal screening legislation
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Adopt a more protective, preventative pre-import
screening policy in the Lacey Act
Screen aquatic and terrestrial animals for
invasiveness or disease risk
New authority to prohibit imports that have not
been screened.
Aggressive House bill languished, more
moderate Senate bill being drafted.
10 Key Principles:
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Consistent with Lacey Act as far as criteria,
burdens of proof, and prohibited acts.
Exempts all “domesticated” taxa from possible
regulation.
Provides immediate administrative relief for
Lacey Act listings
Mandates pre-import risk screening for all new
non-native wildlife within a reasonable number
of years after enactment.
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Establishes a precautionary regulatory category
of “Not Authorized Pending Risk Analysis.”
Provides USFWS authority to make emergency
regulatory decisions.
Provides USFWS authority to regulate wildlife
disease risks.
Includes user fees to help pay for risk screening
program.
Enhances State/Federal cooperation.
Provides some “grandfathering” assurance to
pet owners that they won’t be criminalized.
Opportunities
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Make the link- Asian carp are traction for
improving screening policy.
Build support for screening legislation- domestic
policy needed in US and Canda.
Secure commitment in the Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement to preventatively screen animal
imports.
For more information
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Economic Impacts of Live Animal Imports
Into the US
www.defenders.org/animalimports
Broken Screens www.defenders.org
Jennifer Nalbone [email protected] (716) 2130408