FWD: Stop invasive alien species

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This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/2/18/features/7338986 & sec=f\

eatures

 

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Wednesday February 18, 2004

Stop invasive alien species

 

 

DELEGATES to the ongoing biodiversity meet have expressed concern over the

spread of invasive alien species (IAS) and have urged for early implementation

of proposed guidelines to deal with the problem drafted under the Convention on

Biological Diversity.

 

During deliberations on the proposed guidelines at COP-7 yesterday, a South

African delegate raised the problem posed by intentional introduction of IAS

through incentive schemes such as planting of alien tree species to absorb

carbon dioxide under schemes to curb global warming.

 

IAS is a priority issue under the convention as they can proliferate and spread

in the environment in ways which can harm or are likely to harm ecosystems,

economies and human health. They are now considered the second major threat to

biodiversity, after habitat loss. Many delegates supported the creation of a

working group to study gaps and inconsistencies in existing international

regulatory agreements related to the threats of IAS to biodiversity.

 

Seeing the transboundary nature of the IAS problem, they also called for

regional co-operation and sharing of expertise to prevent the spread of

non-native species. They also stress the importance of beefing up the capacity

of developing countries – in terms of funds and expertise – to monitor

non-native species and put in response measures.

 

IAS has incurred huge losses for many countries. A quarter of theUS

agricultural gross national product is lost each year to exotic plant pests and

the costs of controlling them. In India, IAS costs agriculture losses of

US$116bil (RM440.8mil) annually and in South Africa, 80% of species are

threatened by IAS. Marine biologist Dr Lynn Jackson says the first step towards

curbing the spread of non-native species is to understand the extent of the

problem. “Many countries are still ignorant of the hazards and think the problem

exists only elsewhere,” says the acting director of the Global Invasive Species

Programme (GISP), which seeks to improve scientific information on IAS and

examine ways to control them.

 

Speaking at an a side-event of COP-7, Jackson says globalisation has resulted

in more pathways for spe-cies to be transferred, such as transportation, trade,

agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, aid, tourism, and the Internet pet

trade.

 

Jackson says trade in exotic pets through the Internet is expanding but is

still not properly regulated. Aid to the Third World can be another source of

non-native species, such as when cargoes of grains are contaminated with weeds.

 

The most common path for alien species to hitch-hike is in ballast water.

Carried by sea vessels for stabilisation and discharged at foreign ports,

ballast water transports species all over the world.

 

Jackson says between three and 10 billion tonnes of ballast water is discharged

annually and an estimated 7,000 species are in transit in ballast water at any

one time.

 

“There is still no 100% solution to the problem of ballast water although there

is a lot of research going on, such as chemical treatments,” she says. The

International Maritime Organisation’s proposed global treaty to better manage

ballast water may be one solution.

 

Alien species have degraded the pristine state of protected areas. A shrub

Opuntia stricta, brought into South Africa as an ornamental plant in the 1950s,

found its way into the Krueger National Park. “That land is no longer available

to wildlife for grazing,” says Jackson.

 

On small island states, the impact of IAS is more severe as alien species prey

on native snakes, birds and lizards which previously knew no predators.

 

IAS can also outcompete and replace ecologically-important species. The comb

jellyfish, which originated from the east coast of United States, travelled to

the Black Sea in ballast water. With no predators in the new environment, they

rapidly grew in numbers and competed with anchovies for food, resulting in the

collapse of fisheries in the Black Sea.

 

Jackson added that IAS does not merely impact biodiversity, but also health and

food security. She says rats destroyed a third of African grain annually. To

deal with IAS, Jackson says countries should explore gaps in national

regulations and evaluate known and potential pathways for non-native species.

Strategies should be cross-sectoral since the IAS problem cuts across all

sectors – it is a threat in forests, agriculture, trade and fisheries.

 

Information and technology are critical for assessing risks posed by IAS and

for developing solutions. Thus, various world agencies are producing databases

on IAS. Information sharing is crucial in light of poor knowledge in many

countries, says Jackson. “If a species is invasive somewhere, then it is likely

to be invasive in another country. The database can be seen as a “black list,” a

list of species to lookout for.” – By Tan Cheng Li

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