NOBANIS and the development
of a European Early Warning
and Rapid Response System
Results of NOBANIS workshop on
Early Warning, Ireland
1-3 June 2010
Melanie Josefsson
Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
What is NOBANIS?
• Network
and gateway to information on invasive
alien species via an internet portal, from 2003 www.nobanis.org
• Country driven network of 19 countries with an
environmental management perspective
• A dynamic, distributed, searchable database with
more than 14,000 species records from all
environments
• Database on national regulations, literature
• Fact sheets for 60 of the most invasive species
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Trends in introduction of alien species in all
environments
Pathways of introduction
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Purpose of the NOBANIS workshop
on Early Warning
• Input to the European Commission for further
work on EU Strategy on IAS
• Input into development of a European Early
Warning & Rapid Response system
• Test the NOBANIS information system to see
how it could be used in an Early Warning and
Rapid Response system
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Workshop recommendations
1. Added value of a single Early
Warning & Rapid Response
System
2. Components of an Early Warning
and Rapid Response system
3. Role of the European Commission
in development of an European
Early Warning System
Spiraea tomentosa,
photos by Zygmunt Dajdok
and Waldemar Bena.
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
The main components of a European Early
Warning and Rapid Response System
Genovesi et. al 2010
1. Horizon scanning
2. Detection, monitoring, surveillance
3. Diagnosis
4. Quick screening
5. Risk assessment
6. Reporting and circulation of information
7. Response
8. Follow up
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Workshop recommendations
Added value of a European EW & RR System
Horizon scanning
• Minimize duplication of efforts
• Facilitate the integration and information exchange
with animal and plant health, mariculture,
aquaculture, ballast water control
Detection, monitoring, surveillance
• Provide basis for coordinated approach between
countries
• Produce EU level species guides for identification
Diagnosis
• Ensure a more efficient leverage of resources
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Quick screening
• A common databank of risk screenings would
accelerate the process
• Allows a standardization of methodology
Risk assessments
• Facilitate the sharing of results of risk
assessments
• Ensure consistency of RA procedures and
results
Reporting and circulation of information
• Essential with a common system for
circulation and exchange of information
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Response
• Support community responses when
common interests are threatened (see
EPPO experiences)
• Aid in defining legal basis for response
Follow up
Evaluate whether actions were effective
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Components of an Early Warning and
Rapid Response system
- Requirements for an information system
(continuity, harmonization, regular updating, data
ownership)
- Process of Early Warning & Rapid Response
- Information required for initial notification and EW
- Distribution of an EW
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Components of an Early Warning and
Rapid Response system (cont.)
Criteria for Early Warning
• Arrival of new IAS
• An existing alien
species becomes
invasive
• An existing IAS
suddenly begin a
range expansion
Elodea canadensis
Photo: M. Hassler
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Key actions required for an EW & RR
system at the EU level
• Construct and maintain a centralized information
system incl. alert lists, alarm list, black lists etc.
• Collect and disseminate best practice and
methodologies and ensure a standardized approach
• Address the legal inconsistencies and gaps to ensure
preventative measures and adequate response
• Support efforts with education and awareness raising
• Identify and provide funding incl. capacity building and
contingency funding
• Identify ways to involve relevant non-EU countries in
the system
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Role of the European Commission in
development of an European Early Warning
System
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
NOBANIS pilot projects on Early
Warning
- Development of a Species
alert with e-mail system
(EPPO model)
• Networking function further
developed
• Newsletter 3-4 per year on
portal continues
• Harmonization of data
continues
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
NOBANIS pilot project on EW
•)
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Horizon scanning function
Develop risk maps for 22 IAS species in
terrestrial, freshwater and marine and
brackish water environments
Biogeographic approach
Test NOBANIS information system to see
what needs to be improved/added
Arion lusitanicus
Photo: Inger Weidema
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
22 Invasive Alien Species for study
• Acer rufinerve
• Lupinus nootkatensis
• Branta canadensis
• Lupinus polyphyllus
• Bunias orientalis
• Mustela vison
• Castor canadensis
• Myocastor coypus
• Corbicula fluminea
• Neogobius melanostomus
• Crassula helmsii
• Pacifastacus leniusculus
• Didemnum vexillum
• Paralithodes camtschatica
• Gyrodactylus salaris
• Psittacula krameri
• Harmonia axyridis
• Rhododendron ponticum
• Lithobathes catebeiana
• Robinia pseudoacacia
• Ludwigia grandiflora, L.
peploides
• Sciurus carolinensis
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Thank you!
http://www.nobanis.org/events.asp
Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency