| January 29, 2009 |  |
Congress Steps Up to Screen Invasive Animals in Trade
Conservation and science groups say new legislation would stop new species invasions from imports
WASHINGTON (January 28, 2008) — On Monday, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 669) was introduced by Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) to the House Natural Resources Committee. Conservation groups applaud this effort to limit risky and invasive animals and diseases they might carry from being imported to the United States in commerce.
"Screening species for invasiveness is long overdue," said Peter Jenkins, director of International Conservation for Defenders of Wildlife. "For far too long the pet, aquarium and other industries have imported live animals to the United States without regard to their harm. As a leading import market, the United States receives hundreds of millions of these animals each year."
Inevitably, some imported animals, from the Burmese python and the snakehead fish to several species of Asian carp, end up on our lands and in our waters. Too often, they escape from captivity, are dumped by those who no longer want them, are released by floods, or carry diseases, like salmonella, monkeypox and avian influenza.
"Species like Asian carp would have been banned from the United States if this bill were in place earlier," said Jennifer Nalbone, campaign director of Great Lakes United. "If we put the new approach in place now, we can stop the next invader."
The United States does not currently require that animal species being imported first be evaluated (or screened) for invasiveness, for diseases they might carry, or for the risks they pose to human or wildlife health. Current federal law, the Lacey Act, merely lists species as "injurious," usually after they have been imported to the United States and mostly after the damage has been done. This policy flies in the face of both common sense and scientific research.
"For a century we have relied on an antiquated approach to the trade of live animals," said Mike Daulton of the National Audubon Society. "Finally Congress is embracing the adage, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'"
"We urgently need this bill," said Phyllis Windle, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Every major scientific report on invasive species in the last 15 years has recommended the approach this bill takes. With it, Congress has a critical chance to protect the natural habitats we know and love."
H.R. 669 would modernize existing law. The Lacey Act is old (enacted in 1900), slow (listing a damaging species averages about 4 years), reactive, and incomplete (only about 20 taxa of live organisms are listed). HR 669 would fix all of these problems.
"In our globalized world, animals are traded across continents every day," said Corry Westbrook, legislative director at the National Wildlife Federation. "Enacting this bill would be one of the most significant policy advances we can make to prevent harmful invasions in the United States and to prepare for changing climates."
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
