Invasive Species

National groups release invasives plan for new U.S. administration

With president-elect Obama taking office next week, advocates from across the United States are calling on his administration to introduce a comprehensive plan to tackle the problem of invasive species. Earlier this week, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) issued their five-point action plan for the new president and the incoming Congress. The plan outlines the need to:

1. Screen intentional imports
2. Prevent inadvertent introductions
3. Fund early detection and response
4. Create and support federal leadership
5. Fill other funding gaps

Invasive species from multiple vectors are addressed, including the live animal trade and the global shipping industry.

The first step to combating invasive species is to stop them from getting here in the first place. Currently, live animals and plants are actively – and legally – brought into the country for sale in pet stores and nurseries, or to be raised as food. Yet, these organisms are never screened for their potential to invade natural space when they inevitably escape to the wild.

The current law to screen live animal introductions was enacted over 100 years ago and is woefully antiquated. It is slow to respond and is not suited to stopping a potential invader before it arrives. New legislation is required to ensure that animals are screen before they arrive in the country.

Similarly, plants are imported for use in horticulture and nurseries without regard for their invasiveness. The United States needs to follow other countries which have adopted risk screening protocols and significantly reduced the introduction of invasive plants in the process.

Across North America, invasive species introduced via the ballast of ocean ships have caused economic hardship and dramatic and irreversible changes to the natural environment. The United States Congress must pass ballast water regulations that force shippers to treat their ballast water to a standard that stops all invaders from being released in the the Great Lakes and the United State’s other precious waters.

Should an invasive species still find its way into the United States, funding must be designated to allow a swift response to a new detection. When an invader cannot be eliminited, ongoing monitoring and action to prevent further spread of invasive species is critical.

Great Lakes United was a founding member of NECIS, which was created in 2003, and is a national partnership of 16 major environmental organizations, providing an expert and scientific voice on invasive species. The full report can be downloaded here.

© 2009 Great Lakes News.