Module 12INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL

DIMENSIONS TO IAS MANAGEMENT

Conclusion from other Modules:

(1) IAS management, public awareness, stakeholder support, institutional mandates, laws and regulations can not be developed or maintained in a vacuum – they influence each other and support each other

First Part of Module

Conclusion from other Modules of this training

(2) International efforts and cooperation will be required to effectively address IAS

Second Part of Module

In order to to deal with invasive alien species, a National Strategic Framework is required.

– National IAS Strategy (“The Plan”)– Implementation (“Carrying out the plan”)– Institutional and Structural arrangements

(“Whose job is it?” Who decides?”)– Legislation (and regulations) (“Rights,

obligations….”)

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

LEGISLATIONINSTITUTIONAL

Different aspects of the Strategic Framework overlap and support each

other

Building a National Strategic Framework

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Building a National Strategic Framework

Structure in this Module:

- Developing and implementing a National Strategy

- Leadership, Coordination and Cooperation

- Legal and Institutional requirements

- Approaches

DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A

NATIONAL STRATEGY (Building Blocks)

•Preliminary Assessment

•Task Force

•Producing the National Strategy

•Operational Arrangements

National Strategy

Implementation

Assessment of situation

What alien species and potentially IAS are in your

country? What are the pathways? What is at risk? What agencies deal with IAS? What laws and regulations exist?

What is the present situation and what constraints are there?

Task Force to formulate National Strategy

(1)Wide stakeholder participation is crucial to

- maximise expert input- maximise support

For instance: Government agencies, Primary Producers, other industry and sectors, Environmental NGOs, Regional Government, other relevant Community groups

Task Force to formulate National Strategy

(2) Analyse all relevant information

(3) Determine suitable policies, practices, operational procedures, responsibilities and implementation arrangements

(4) Determine who should be the Lead Agency

Task Force to formulate National Strategy

(5) Produce a Draft National Strategy

(6) Circulate the Draft National Strategy widely for comment and input

(7) Incorporate input

(8) Submit to government for consideration and approval

Lead Agency

Is an agency with the principal responsibility for operationalising and managing the National Strategy on an ongoing basis …..

….. in a system of cooperation with other national or local government agencies and consultation with other stakeholders

Lead Agency

Can be:

• Existing agency or

• Newly formed entity

The most suitable Lead Agency will be different in different countries – depends on: mandate, capacity, resources, national situation…..

Lead Agency1) New Zealand, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

has been designated the lead agency for all aspects of biosecurity strategy (including biodiversity impacts)

2) Strong coordinating structure e.g. USA National Invasive Species Council

Key : structure of cooperation with other agencies where roles and responsibilities are clear and which enables all stakeholders to work effectively together

National IAS Strategy• Vision and goals/objectives• Scope (what species, what pathways?, geographic

coverage)• Context • Contents: All aspects of dealing with IAS must be

covered, including management, leadership, coordination, awareness, legal and institutional, research, funding …

It sets “high level” recommendation for actions – not detailed ones

Widespread stakeholder involvement is criticalIncluding governmental agencies, industry,

primary sectors, NGOs, communities….

National Strategy must create clarity on mandates and responsibilities

IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL STRATEGY AND NATIONAL

SRATEGIC FRAMEWORKImplementation of a National Strategic

Framework will consist of implementing high level recommendations for action as well as the planning and carrying out of day to day

activities to address IAS issues.

LEADERSHIP AND COOPERATION

(Building blocks)

• Lead Agency / Invasive Species Committee

• Interagency Cooperation• Wide stakeholder involvement

National Strategy

Implementation

Leadership & Coordination

Cooperation

Lead Agency

The main obligation and responsibility for the implementation and ongoing management of the National Strategy and other components of the national framework usually falls on a lead agency in a system of cooperation with other national or local government agencies and consultation with other stakeholders

• “A priority action is to establish national IAS Committees (i.e. with full sectoral representation) and national IAS focal points in countries that do not already have them. The Committee should supervise the implementation of the Strategies/Plans and set IAS priorities and responsibilities such as identifying key organisations to lead on specific IAS issues in each country.”

Statement by delegates to Austral Pacific Workshop (GISP). Honolulu, October 2002

INTERAGENCY COOPERATION

• Clarity of mandates • Clarity of decision making • Competition for funding should be

avoided• A decision-making systems to resolve

potential conflicts of interest • Good information flow between agencies• Good will and understanding of a

common goal

Wide Stakeholder involvement

• Advisory role in developing Strategy

• Involvement in the implementation of IAS management , for example:

• Consultation in risk analysis• Development of voluntary guidelines

or codes of conducts relating to their sector

• Stakeholder Involvement in the implementation of IAS management, e.g.

• Participation in surveillance• Community led restoration programmes• Community led eradication or control programmes• Awareness raising and education

• Leadership, Coordination and Cooperation are key building blocks for a National Strategic Framework.

• It will depend on the country’s situation which Agency may be the best suited to be a Lead Agency.

• National IAS Committees could be a good first step towards a Strategic Framework

• Interagency Cooperation will require goodwill and understanding of the common goals

• Wide stakeholder involvement is critical for the success of a Strategic Framework

NATIONAL LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

(Building Block)

National Strategy

Implementation

Leadership & Coordination

Cooperation

Legal & Institutional

• Law is used to implement policy objectives and determine principles, standards and procedures to achieve them

• Legal and Institutional systems underpin the mandate to act to address IAS

Establishing efficient institutions is one of the most important roles of legislation, though this is often

underestimated

Key Requirements for National Legal frameworks

• Terminology and Definitions

• Geographical coverage– All ecosystems– Species native in one part of country and invasive

in another part of country (e.g. hedgehogs in Scotland)

– Vulnerable and valuable areas

Key Requirements for National Legal frameworks

• Species coverage – No taxonomic groups omitted– IAS with impacts on primary production,

livelihoods, biodiversity, health,….

Key Requirements for National Legal frameworks

• Management– Prevention– Early Detection /Rapid response– Eradication– Control– Mitigation of impacts

Remember…

Where proposed biological control agents are alien species, the full process of risk analysis should apply to them, as for any other proposed intentional introduction of an alien species

Legislation must exclude alien species from automatic protection

APPROACHES(Building Block)

National Strategy

Implementation

Leadership & Coordination

Cooperation

Legal & Institutional

Approaches

Regional and other transboundary approach

• IAS do not recognise country borders…– Formalised Regional Strategies– Regional Action Plans– Transboundary Cooperation

INTEGRATING IAS STRATEGIES INTO OTHER NATIONAL STRATEGIC ISSUES

• Development of biodiversity strategies • Poverty alleviation strategies• Sustainable development strategies• EIA for large engineering works (e.g. canals,

tunnels, etc.)• Protected Areas Management Plans

Invasive species control and reforestation initiative (in partnership with local leaders ), school growing and planting nativetrees,…..(National Park America Samoa)

SUPPORTING RESTORATION AND APPRECIATION OF NATIVE

BIODIVERSITY

Using and encouraging native species as an alternative

Promotion of native plants for disturbed lands, Alberta (Canada)

Mekong River Commission (MRC) Fisheries Programme: promotion of aquaculture of Indigenous Mekong fish species

Any use of native species as an alternative to using alien species must be done in the context of sustainable use.

Using and encouraging native species as an alternative

• Gardening• Erosion control• Developing aquaculture • Stocking of rivers and ponds • Forestry• Aid and development assistance

CONTROLS ON DOMESTIC MOVEMENT OF SPECIES

PRIORITISING – Risk Analysis

PRECAUTION – Precautionary measures are advocated, required or

allowed by several international instruments,– Precaution is especially relevant in the context of IAS with

biodiversity impacts, because of the ecological complexity involved.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS…..

There is always something you can do

There is always something you can do

National Strategy

Leadership and coordination

Cooperation

Implementation

Legal / Institutional

Approaches

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK!!

CONCLUSIONS

National S

trategy

Leadership and coordination

Cooperation

Implem

entation

Legal / Institutional

Approaches

STRATEGYIMPLEMENTATIONLEGISLATIONINSTITUTIONAL

Prevention

Early Detection / Rapid response

Eradication

Control

Mitigation

Awareness

Education

Research

Funding

Etc…..CONCLUSIONS

INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMMES

ON IAS

REGIONAL SPREAD OF IAS

• IAS, once introduced, can spread to neighbouring countries (e.g. Cactoblastis cactorum )

SUMMARY: WHY INTERNATIONAL APPROACH IS REQUIRED

1) MAGNITUDE OF THREAT (Global scale)2) NEED FOR INFORMATION SHARING:• “usual suspects” – shared problem species• Prior invasiveness – early warning elsewhere3) NEED FOR MANAGEMENT COOPERATION• IAS in one country can spread to neighbours• Shared IAS• Capacity building4) GLOBAL TRADE ASPECTS• Cause: movement of huge amount of species outside native

range (intentional, unintentional)• Where prevention requires trade restrictions, must be consistent

with WTO/SPS….

INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)• RAMSAR• The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) • Office International des Epizooties (OIE)• The World Health Organization (WHO) • IMO• GLOBALLAST• International Civil Aviation Organization• Technical Guidance for Fisheries and Aquaculture• Relationship of existing instruments with the

multilateral trading system

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES

• IAS and sustainable development programmes• GLOBAL INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAMME (GISP)• WHAT GISP OFFERS• COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE ON IAS ON ISLANDS

(CII)• International Cooperation between peers• GISP Partners • Regional Cooperation