48 Secretariat of the CBD Technical Series No. 48 Convention on Biological Diversity Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity CBD Technical Series No. 48 Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity ISBN: 92-9225-204-6 Copyright © 2010. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication was produced with the financial assistance of the Government of Spain. The views reported in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Government of Spain, nor of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This publication may be reproduced for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity would appreciate receiving a copy of any publications that use this document as a source. Citation: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010). Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity. Montreal, SCBD, Technical Series No. 48, 45 pages. For further information, please contact: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity World Trade Centre 413 St. Jacques Street, Suite 800 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9 Phone: 1(514) 288 2220 Fax: 1 (514) 288 6588 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.cbd.int Typesetting: Em Dash Design Cover photos courtesy of (top to bottom): Kohichi Goka, Flickr.com/mineobskuriteter, Kohichi Goka, and Ian McHenry conTenTS FOREWORD .................................................................................................................................................5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................6 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.......................................................................................................7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................................8 1. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................9 2. THE IMPORT OF ALIEN SPECIES AS PETS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY....................10 2.1. Aquarium and Ornamental Fish ..................................................................................................................11 2.2 . Terrarium Species, Reptiles and Amphibians ............................................................................................12 2.3 . Predators .........................................................................................................................................................13 2.4 . Parasites and Zoonoses .................................................................................................................................14 2.5 . Live Food and Aquaculture ..........................................................................................................................15 2.6 . Socio-Economic Considerations on the Live Animal Trade ....................................................................17 3. INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ON LIVE ANIMAL TRADE .............................18 3.1 . International Regulations .............................................................................................................................18 3.2 . Voluntary Codes ............................................................................................................................................19 3.3 . Gaps in International Law and Regulation .................................................................................................19 3.4 . Internet Trade as a Pathway for Invasive Alien Species ...........................................................................20 4. POLICY OPTIONS AND BEST PRACTICES: RISK ASSESSMENT ....................................................21 4.1 . Risk Assessment and Screening Approaches .............................................................................................22 4.2 . Decision-making ............................................................................................................................................23 4.3 . Sub-National and Regional Risk Assessments ...........................................................................................24 4.4 . National Approaches to Risk Assessment ...................................................................................................25 4.5 . Awareness and Stakeholder Involvement ...................................................................................................25 4.6 . Industry-based Measures ..............................................................................................................................26 4.7 . Capacity and Resourcing ..............................................................................................................................28 4.8 . Information Exchange Tools and Information-sharing ............................................................................29 5. EXAMPLES OF NATIONAL APPROACHES...........................................................................................32 5.1 . Australia: Pre-import Screening and Regulation of Live Animals for Import ......................................32 5.2 . Brazil: Actions and Regulations for Live Animal Imports and Pet Release Pathway ...........................33 5.3 . Czech Republic: Regulations for Animal Imports .....................................................................................33 5.4 . Estonia: Best Practices Addressing the Introduction of Alien Species as Pets, Aquarium and Terrarium Species ................................................................................................................33 5.5 . Israel: Addressing the Import of Vertebrates to Prevent Invasive Species .............................................34 5.6. Japan: Invasive Alien Species Legislation and Implementation for Intentional Animal Imports .......35 5.7 . Mauritius: Addressing Intentional Animal Imports .................................................................................36 5.8 . Portugal: Regulations for Animal Imports .................................................................................................36 5.9 . Thailand: Regulating Aquatic Animal Imports ..........................................................................................37 5.10 .United Kingdom: Risk Identification and Risk Assessment.....................................................................37 5.11 .United States: Regulation of Live Fish Imports .........................................................................................37 6. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................39 ANNEX.........................................................................................................................................................40 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................41 Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity FoReWoRD Globalization combined with growing Internet use has facilitated the export and import of exotic pets, aquarium and terrarium species to an unprec- edented rate. Pet sales in the United States alone were estimated at nearly US$ 50 billion in 2010, according to the American Pet Products Association. Interest in exotic pets is also evident in urban areas of Europe, Japan and other parts of the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has reported that 1.5 billion live ornamental fish are exported every year, with exports coming from over 100 countries. While the international trade of pet species represents opportunities for economic growth, it can also lead to the spread of invasive alien species and the overharvesting of rare endemic species. Released or escaped exotic pets or aquarium and terrarium species may survive in the wild and become invasive. Invasive alien species disturb the functioning of ecosystems and are one of the leading threats to biodiversity. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, updated in 2010, 30% of bird species are threat- ened due to over-exploitation and invasive alien species. Invasive alien species impact 67% of threatened birds on islands, where feral animals introduced as pets are suspected to be in part responsible. Currently, there is no specific international standard in place to address risks of invasions associated with pets, aquarium and terrarium species as well as live bait and food. Those species may include fish, reptiles, insects and a wide range of other organisms, including pathogens. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has requested information on best practices to prevent these risks (decision IX/4). This publication documents some of the problems resulting from invasive alien species introduced via the pet and aquarium trade, provides examples of risk assessment and regulatory practices employed by some Parties, and presents measures to prevent further invasions of species which pose a significant risk. This information is relevant to importers/exporters operating in large markets, pet owners, and decision-makers considering appro- priate control measures for invasive alien species. Facts are presented in a format accessible to all readers, ranging from the local to global levels, to take appropriate actions with regard to invasive alien species introduced as pets, aquarium and terrarium species. The third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, published by Secretariat of the CBD in 2010, clearly shows that the introduction of invasive alien species is growing in parallel with greater demand for transport, trade, and tourism; and yet most countries lack adequate control measures for introduction pathways. In particular, control at national borders must be strengthened to address the risk of introducing invasive alien species as pets, aquar- ium and terrarium species. It is my deepest wish that this publication enlightens its readers to better mitigate the risk of invasive alien species introductions. Ahmed Djoghlaf Executive Secretary Convention on Biological Diversity 5 Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity AcKnoWLeDGeMenTS The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity wishes to acknowledge all those who contributed to this publication, including Dr Sarah Simons, Mr. Michael Browne, Ms. Adela Reid, Ms. Annie Webb, Ms. Annie Cung, Ms. Caroline Belair, Ms. Jacqueline Grekin, Dr Jo Mulongoy, members of the Workshop Steering Committee, including Mr. Stas Burgiel, Ms. Maj De Poorter, Mr. Peter T. Jenkins and Mr. David Lodge, and all those who partic- ipated in the Expert Workshop on Best Practices for Pre-Import Screening of Live Animals, held at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States of America, from 9 to 11 April 2008. The Secretariat would also like to thank those who kindly allowed us to use their photographs in this publication. Finally, The Secretariat would like to thank the Government of Spain for making it possible to print this publication. 6 Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity ABBReVIATIonS AnD AcRonYMS ABARE Australian Bureau of Agricultural ICES International Council for the and Resource Economics Exploration of the Sea AHTEG Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group IMO International Maritime Organization AIMS Agricultural Internet Monitoring System INPA Israel Nature and Parks Authority ANTSF Aquatic Nuisance Species Task IPPC International Plant Protection Convention Force (United States) ISPM International Standards for APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Phytosanitary Measures APPMA American Pet Product IUCN International Union for Manufacturers Association Conservation of Nature AusBIOSEC Australian Biosecurity System for Primary IUCN-ISSG International Union for Conservation of Production and the Environment Nature Invasive Species Specialist Group AQIS Australian Quarantine and IUCN/SSC International Union for Conservation of Inspection Service Nature Species Survival Commission BD Batrachocytrium dendrobatidis NBII National Biological Information CBD Convention on Biological Diversity Infrastructure CISIS Comprehensive Invasive Species NIASS National Invasive Species Strategy Information System for the Republic of Mauritius CITES Convention on International NLAC-MU National Laboratory Animal Centre, Trade in Endangered Species Mahidol University (Thailand) of Wild Fauna and Flora MAC Marine Aquarium Council COP Conference of the Parties OATA Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity OBIS Ocean Biogeographic Information System Conservation Act 1999 (Australia) OFI Ornamental Fish International EPPO European Plant Protection Organisation OIE World Organization for Animal Health DAISIE Delivering Alien Invasive Species PAW Partnership for Action Inventories for Europe against Wildlife Crime FAO Food and Agriculture Organization PIAA Pet Industry Association of Australia of the United Nations PIJAC Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council GAA Global Aquaculture Alliance RISS Regional Invasive Species Strategy GDP Gross Domestic Product SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome GISD Global Invasive Species Database SIDS Small Island Developing States GISIN Global Invasive Species SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community Information Network SPS World Trade Organization Agreement GISP Global Invasive Species Programme Agreement on the Application of Sanitary GRIS Global Register of Invasive Species and Phytosanitary Measures HHT Marine Aquarium Council’s UAS Uncategorized Alien Species Handling, Husbandry and Transport UNCLOS United Nations Convention International Standard on the Law of the Sea IABIN Inter-American Biodiversity USDA United States Department of Agriculture Information Network USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service IA CRC Invasive Animals Cooperative WTO World Trade Organization Research Centre (Australia) IBC Institutional Biosafety Committee of the Department of Fisheries (Thailand) 7 Pets, Aquarium, and Terrarium Species: Best Practices for Addressing Risks to Biodiversity eXecUTIVe SUMMARY Invasive alien species are a direct driver of biodiversity loss, and considered a cross-cutting issue of the CBD, a key matter of relevance to all major biomes. In addition, invasive alien species have been estimated to cost our economies hundreds of billions of dollars each year, due to both the economic implications of present invasions to agriculture and ecosystem services, as well as the high cost of eradication efforts. At the same time, the pet trade has the potential to generate significant socio-economic benefits, including benefits for developing states. The movement of live animals and plants around the world, facilitated by increased global trade and the accessi- bility of online marketing tools, poses a risk of spreading invasive species and their associated problems around the globe more widely and more rapidly. The existing international regulatory framework does not cover the introduction of species such as pets, aquarium, and terrarium species, live bait and live food, which constitute a significant risk to ecosystems. Measures which would not impede the trade of species with the lowest risk of harm to native biodiversity are needed. One third of the world’s most damaging aquatic invasive species are a result of aquarium or ornamental releases. The information collected through the expert workshop on best practices for pre-import screening of live animals held in Indiana, United States of America, from 9 to 11 April 2008 demonstrate that effective prevention strategies can be targeted where needed though risk-assessment practices. This edition of the CBD Technical Series provides a resource to those Parties or Governments who wish to establish their own import/export control mechanisms to determine how they may effectively and efficiently evaluate the risks posed by the potential import/export of live animals and plants as pets, aquarium and terrariums species as well as mechanisms to control these imports or exports if the risk level warrants such control. This publication also provides a list of information resources which may be utilized by those who wish to conduct a risk assessment on a particular species. As the best predictor of invasiveness is previous invasiveness elsewhere, these resources are essential tools in the effort to avoid the damage caused by invasive alien species, and to pro- tect native biodiversity and local economies. 8