Download UNEP/CBD/IAS/EM/2015/1/4 - Convention on Biological Diversity

CBD
Distr.
GENERAL
UNEP/CBD/IAS/EM/2015/1/4
17 November 2015
ENGLISH ONLY
EXPERT MEETING ON ALIEN SPECIES IN WILDLIFE
TRADE, EXPERIENCES IN THE USE OF BIOLOGICAL
CONTROL AGENTS AND DEVELOPMENT OF
DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS FOR MANAGEMENT OF
INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES
Montreal, Canada, 28-30 October 2015
Item 3 of the provisional agenda1
METHODS OF ALERTING SUPPLIERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS TO THE RISK POSED
BY INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES SOLD VIA E-COMMERCE
Note by the Executive Secretary
I
INTRODUCTION
1.
In paragraph 9 (c) of decision XII/17 of the Conference of the Parties requested the Executive
Secretary to explore with relevant partners, including the standard-setting bodies recognized by the World
Trade Organization (the International Plant Protection Convention, the World Organisation for Animal
Health (OIE), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission) and other members of the inter-agency liaison
group on invasive alien species, methods of alerting suppliers and potential buyers to the risk posed by
invasive alien species sold via e-commerce, and report on progress to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific,
Technical and Technological Advice.
2.
Accordingly, the Executive Secretary in collaboration with the International Maritime
Organization convened the sixth meeting of the Inter-agency Liaison Group on Invasive Alien Species in
London, United Kingdome from 31 March to 1 April 2015 to explore the method of alerting suppliers and
potential buyers to the risk posed by invasive alien species sold via e-commerce and other matters on
invasive alien species.2
3.
In addition the Executive Secretary sent notification 2015-052 inviting Parties, other
Governments and relevant organizations to submit information related to their experiences on alien
species sold via e-commerce. The following Parties and other Government submitted information on their
experiences and concerns on alien species sold via e-commerce: Mexico, South Africa, Sweden and USA.
1
https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/ais/iasem-2015-01/official/iasem-2015-01-01-en.doc
Report of the sixth meeting of the Inter-agency Liaison Group on Invasive Alien Species is accessible at
http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/ais/iaslg-05/official/iaslg-05-report-en.pdf
2
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4.
This note summarizes, in section II, the submissions from Parties and other Government and the
information provided from members of the Inter-agency Liaison Group on Invasive Alien Species at its
sixth meeting. Possible approaches of alerting suppliers and potential buyers to the risk posed by invasive
alien species sold via e-commerce are presented in section III. Section IV contains conclusion for
management of trade in wildlife (UNEP/CBD/IAS/EM/2015/1/3) and e-commerce that may pose risks for
biodiversity.
II. INFORMATION ON E-COMMERCE PROVIDED BY PARTIES, OTHER GOVERNENTS
AND RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS
A. Issues expressed by Parties and other Governments
5.
Parties and other Government indicated that e-commerce is rapidly growing and recognized as a
priority pathway to manage, however, to address the risk of introduction and spread of invasive and
potentially invasive alien species, a number of government entities which have relevant jurisdiction to ecommerce could not adequately take actions in addressing the risk, yet.
6.
In Mexico there is a Single Window of Mexican International Trade which interconnects all
federal government agencies involved in international trade. The electronic tracking of goods is achieved
ligand systems and validation of emission permits and authorizations with the customs authority. Thus,
the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) and the Directorate General of Forest and
Soil Management of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) systematize,
automate and homologated forest management at the national level, taking advantage of technology and
information systems. This in order to generate and receive the information online, derived from acts of
authority in forestry for public and private decision-makers (statistics, indicators, maps) and forest and
environmental planning.
7.
In South Africa the escalating use of internet and e-commerce, to a large extent has not been
noticed by policy makers, yet. Rhodes University and other researchers have conducted online and
manual surveys on e-commerce to determine the extent of movement of invasives as well as indigenous
water submerged plant species in South Africa. For the purpose of this study 64 stores and 23 aquarists
were surveyed. Four areas of risk were identified in this study. The study concluded that: (i) a variety of
invasive and/or prohibited plants are sold by pet stores; (ii) there is a lack of knowledge regarding
identification as well as regulation of water submerged species, which may then result in the unintentional
trade of potentially invasive species. It seems that, in many cases, the pet stores are ignorant or
misinformed of the potential dangers, rather than intentionally attempting to breach the legislation; 3)
Aquarists own, trade and move plants in and around the country, which makes it very difficult to monitor
which species are being moved around South Africa and to what extent. Finally, the internet is a pathway
of potential concern, but it is difficult to quantify its contribution to the trade of invasive species in South
Africa.
8.
In Sweden the import and sale of living crayfish for home aquariums continues, despite a national
ban on the import of all living specimens of species within the Astacidae, Cambaridae och Parastacidae
families. E-commerce is the main source of this illegal import to Sweden. More than 125 species of
freshwater crayfish are offered for sale on the Internet. Internet sites locate in an EU country are identified
as the main source of illegal import of the living crayfish to Sweden. The purpose of the ban on import of
living crayfish is to prevent the introduction and spread of pathogens that affect the endangered native
noble crayfish Astacus astacus. Reports of sales of living crayfish in local pet and aquarium stores are not
uncommon, despite the restriction on import and extensive information campaigns. The European
Commission is presently working on a proposal, within the European Union’s regulation 1143/2014 on
the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, If adopted it
would restrict the import, transport, sale and use of a number of crayfish species . This would strengthen
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the Swedish national ban on import by regulating suppliers in other EU countries, but this would apply
only to the specified crayfish species listed within the regulation. There is a risk that the focus of trade
with crayfish for aquarium use would shift to other crayfish species, which could also have potentially
high risks for biodiversity. The need for informing potential buyers of the restrictions on trade with these
species and the risks to biological diversity will thus still remain a priority.
9.
The Government of USA submitted a comprehensive paper on invasive alien species and ecommerce approved by Invasive Species Advisory Committee in 20123. The e-commerce in USA where a
large number of e-commerce sites are developed with various commercial scales. According to the
submission, Experts estimated that there were at least 4,000 businesses and 15,000 individuals advertising
reptiles over the Internet. Numbers of e-commercial traders of horticultural species were difficult to
estimate, but conservative guesses place them in the tens of thousands. In addition, the potential buyers of
the items sold via e-commerce of the world are also using the e-commerce sites in USA and be influenced
with innovation on the platforms. The issues identified in the paper that seem to be also common in other
countries are summarized as follows:
(a)
Increased diversity: The Internet has vastly expanded the range of people and
businesses engaged in the movement and sale of plants and animals. The array of mechanisms for making
transactions is also highly diverse, including standard retail websites, auction sites, local business and
want ads, portals that facilitate communication between buyers and sellers, and specialty chat forums and
user groups. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare are further changing the landscape,
particularly through informal retail arrangements;
(b)
Regulations and enforcement: The Internet has facilitated an increase in sales of
organisms by individuals, not just by lowering overhead and transaction costs, but also by helping sellers
circumvent state and federal regulatory requirements. The Internet has also made it easier to exchange
information on how to avoid regulations, such as by falsifying documents or using transshipments,
transfers between more than one shipper. There is no one comprehensive listing or guide to federal and
state regulations on the transport and sale of plants, animals, and materials that could be a pathway for the
transport of invasive species;
(c)
Education and public awareness: Perhaps the greatest commercial virtue of the
Internet is that it allows individuals to readily find information, albeit sometimes unreliable, about
products and sales. Individuals can locate sellers, details of the features and care of species, and
information about how to circumvent rules or smuggle banned species. The Internet can also be a
powerful tool for educating consumers. There is a need to develop more effective methods to harness the
power of the Internet to inform those involved in on-line transactions;
(d)
Complex regulatory system4: Although the species that are regulated should be listed
under the jurisdiction of the national and sub-national levels, different authorities and their coverage of
regulated species are not in a single information source and this situation makes sellers, buyers and other
stakeholders in e-commerce difficult to abide the regulations;
(e)
Postal and express delivery services4: Since the Internet is often used for transactions
across significant distances, purchased specimens are generally sent by mail or express delivery services.
Such services have their own set of regulations concerning the shipment of species. The inspection at the
border does not apply the same risk screening measures to the all.
3
https://www.cbd.int/invasive/doc/meetings/isaem-2015-01/WILDLIFE%20TRADE%20and%20ECOMMERCE/iasem-usa-wt.ecom-01-en.pdf
4
Text is adjusted by the Secretariat of the CBD and not the same as the submission from the USA.
UNEP/CBD/IAS/EM/2015/1/4
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(f)
Taxonomy and species identification: Proper naming and identification of species is
a major issue in both traditional commerce and e-commerce in live organisms. The issue includes:
(i)
(ii)
The exact species may not be known to science;
The organism may not be identified in the shipment to the level of the species,
but rather just to the genus, family, or other, higher level;
(iii)
Species may be incorrectly identified, intentionally or unintentionally;
(iv)
A trade or common name may be used that does not refer unambiguously and
consistently to any one species;
(v)
Taxonomic classifications and scientific names can change over time;
(vi)
Standards for naming and labeling species for shipment and sale do not exist.
(g)
Hitchhikers: Trade in wildlife is a major vector for the introduction and spread of
pests, pathogens, parasites, and diseases.
B.
Management of risks associated with e-commerce at the international level
International Plant Protection Organization:
10.
At its seventh session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) in 2012 it was
recognized that lack of knowledge of a customer’s location in e-commerce can lead to consignments of
regulated articles being imported into a country without the phytosanitary certificates which may be
required by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of that country.
11.
In order for the global plant protection framework to keep pace with this, NPPOs, Regional Plant
Protection Organizations (RPPOs) and the IPPC Secretariat should collaborate with other stakeholders to
monitor internet trade and to ensure that goods ordered in this way comply with relevant phytosanitary
regulations on the basis of risk analysis. This requires improvements in collaboration, monitoring and
enforcement across the pathways known for transporting those goods, particularly postal and express
delivery services.
12.
At its ninth session of the CPM, the CPM recommended on Internet Trade (eCommerce) in Plants
and other Regulated Articles as follows:
(a)
This recommendation applies to a variety of products ordered and delivered through ecommerce. It includes plants for planting, other articles such as plants for consumption, soils, growing
media, and living organisms in a wide range of taxa that are known or have the potential to be plant pests
and are sold to and exchanged by hobbyists, collectors, researchers etc. Many of these articles may be
sold in a variety of product configurations that may incorporate or be infused with plants for planting
though the product itself may not be recognized immediately to contain them (e.g. articles of clothing,
footwear, packaging, greeting cards, paper products, home accessories, novelty products etc.).
(b)
To respond to this developing situation, the CPM encourages:
NPPOs and RPPOs to:
(i)
Develop mechanisms for identifying e-commerce traders based within their
countries and regions;
(ii)
Establish mechanisms to identify products of concern that may be purchased via
e-commerce, with a focus on potential high-risk pathways such as plants for
planting, soils and growing media, living organisms etc. and to explore options
ensuring they comply with appropriate phytosanitary regulations based on risk
assessment;
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(iii)
Promote compliance by customers and traders operating through e-commerce
with the phytosanitary import requirements of importing countries and provide
adequate information on the risks posed by bypassing such requirements.
(iv)
Strengthen coordination with postal and express courier services to ensure that
relevant information of the phytosanitary risks and phytosanitary measures are
conveyed to e-commerce traders;
(v)
investigate the phytosanitary risks posed by all forms of distance selling and if
necessary to include these purchasing methods in their risk management
activities
NPPOs, RPPOs and the IPPC Secretariat to:
(i) Raise awareness of the risks of bypassing phytosanitary regulations.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
13.
At its 58th meeting (Geneva, 2009) the Standing Committee of the CITES, established a working
group on e-commerce of specimens of CITES-listed species. The working group suggested through eforum established by the Secretariat of the CITES that the Working Group should focus on two main
topics: (i) the technical infrastructure of the Internet which is evolving rapidly and offer a variety of
different mechanisms to conduct trade; and (ii) the legal framework required to ensure sustainable, legal
and traceable trade through the Internet.
14.
At its 16th meeting (Bangkok, 2013), the Conference of the Parties adopted Decision 16.62 where
it directs the Standing Committee, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the CITES, to liaise with the
World Customs Organization with regard to the inclusion of CITES-listed species in the Harmonized
Commodity Description and Coding System in order to address the illegal trade in CITES-listed species.
15.
At its 6th meeting of the Inter-agency Liaison Group on Invasive Alien Species in London, UK,
from 31 March to 1 April 2015, the Secretariat of CITES informed the Group that the Single Window
Initiative which is the national level implementation on electronic system to submit import information by
traders may have a potential to record and track the international movement of consignments with wildlife
specimens. The World Customs Organization provided its members a harmonized data model5 and every
country may develop their own Single Window system with the harmonized data model and guidelines6.
The national Single Window system may allow border officials to collect the information on live species
movement in international trade and transmit the information to the appropriate departments or agencies
that are responsible for regulating various kinds of goods and commodity.
An example of implementation of the Single Window Initiative:
16.
As the Single Window system is expected to be implemented at the national level. In this
document a Single Window system currently operated by the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) is
presented as an example, in view of exploring the potential methods of alerting suppliers and potential
buyers to the risk posed by invasive alien species sold via e-commerce, as requested by the Conference of
the Parties to the CBD.
5
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/facilitation/activities-and-programmes/singlewindow/~/media/F5B22919BC5049A18CD48371B467C122.ashx
6 http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/cefact/recommendations/rec33/rec33_trd352e.pdf
UNEP/CBD/IAS/EM/2015/1/4
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17.
In Canada the action plan “Beyond Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and
Economic Competitiveness”7 sets out joint priorities for achieving that vision within the four areas of
cooperation identified in the Beyond the Border Declaration: addressing threats early; trade facilitation,
economic growth and jobs; cross-border law enforcement; and critical infrastructure and cyber-security.
18.
Nine Canadian departments and agencies will participate in the Single Window system along
with the CBSA: Environment Canada; Canadian Food Inspection Agency (NPPO); Canadian Fisheries
and Oceans Canada; Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada; Health Canada; Natural Resources
Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada; and Transport Canada and Nuclear Safety Commission;
19.
With regard to live species with risk of biological invasion, import regulations on agricultural
production, importation of regulated articles such as human and terrestrial animal pathogens and
biological toxins are already implemented as of September 2015. This single integrated solution may
provide a potential to the trade community that applies e-commerce with the option to satisfy the
regulatory import requirements of multiple government agencies via a single electronic transmission of
shipment information through an electronic import document called Integrated Import Declaration.
20.
It is noteworthy that the “Guidance on devising and implementing measures to address the risks
associated with the introduction of alien species as pets, aquarium and terrarium species, and as live bait
and live food” annexed to decision XII/16 contains as a measure that all consignments of pet, aquarium
and terrarium species, live bait or live food should clearly indicate the taxon (at the lowest known
taxonomic rank and if available, the genotype, using the scientific name and the Taxonomic Serial
Number or alternatives to such numbers), as well as any relevant requirements on confinement, handling
and transport. The potential of the Single Window system is high to present information on the regulated
live species under the national jurisdiction as it develops. This facilitates all relevant regulatory bodies
working together and connecting those importers who may shift from the paper-based import declaration
to the Single Window system.
III. POSSIBLE FUTURE APPROACHES
21.
To evaluate appropriate methods for alerting suppliers and potential buyers to the risk posed by
invasive alien species sold via e-commerce, this section provides some analysis towards the possible ways
forward.
22.
The issues of e-commerce summarized in section II A indicated that relevant regulatory
authorities are facing a new and complex challenge in ensuring that information regarding the risk of
invasion associated with the goods and live species in e-commerce is available. The challenge and some
elements of solution in implementing an alert mechanism include the following points:
(a)
The mechanism of e-commerce is diverse. Development and implementation of a
standard method of alerting the risk on diverse platforms may not be easy technical task for developers of
every vendor’s site. Also, many small scale vendors’ and hobbyists’ exchange sites use servers of a thirdparty that are beyond of their control;
(b)
As a nature of the internet business in general, observance of existing regulations would
not be a priority for many vendors and developers of the e-commerce sites. Given that complex
regulations relevant to live species trade are difficult to find in a single source, many vendors would not
understand the necessary steps to declare the transaction and reconcile them to abide with all applicable
regulations. Voluntary implementation of any method of alerting on risk of the items sold via e-commerce
seems to be limited unless the method has the potential to facilitate e-commerce;
7
http://actionplan.gc.ca/en/content/beyond-border#sthash.2FXyBp9x.dpuf
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(c)
Valid information on e-commerce sites can provide opportunities for potential buyers to
learn about the wise selection of items that are not threatening biodiversity. Some campaigns on
consumers’ smart behavior can be organized through the vendors’ network (e.g. Pet Industry Joint
Advisory Council) in collaboration with invasive species management authorities. For example, Ontario’s
Invading Species Awareness Programme8 in Canada, Invasive Plant Alert9 in South Africa, BePlantwise10
in UK may provide insights to vendors and developers to develop an alert mechanism;
(d)
A barrier for e-commerce users to abide complex regulations with the numerous
authorities could be improved if countries implemented the Single Window Initiative for their
import/export permission process. However, it should be noted that this is a measure for regulated articles
with the country’s concern at the border for speedy and effective clearance. Appropriate legislation and
border measures should be in place in advance if the country expects alerting on the risk to suppliers and
potential buyers in e-commerce. The risk associated with the items sold via e-commerce without
appropriate risk assessment (of which result could be vary in different biogeographic region) cannot be
covered by the electronic system, unless the national legislation sets to prevent importation of all items of
which risks were not assessed. Such import measure has been taken by the Government of Australia and
New Zealand, where plant and animal specimens considered to be suitable for live import are listed based
on the result of risk assessment;
(e)
Border control inspection could be less strict for some shipments service with various
reasons. The possible interception of suspected items at the border is set under the national jurisdiction.
The items sold via e-commerce without appropriate risk assessment may not be screened unless a specific
commodity standard on the export, shipping, handling, import and discard on live organisms is developed
and well implemented at the national level;
(f)
The taxonomic name on a consignment may not lead to preventing entry of invasive and
potential invasive alien species, especially if the taxon was not indicated accurately or only with higher
rank of taxon. This fact implies that species-specific measures may not be effectively implemented unless
strong capacity in taxonomy exists in the e-commerce community. The expected alert mechanism should
be developed with close collaboration with taxonomic institutions and invasion biology experts. Some
standards (e.g. Taxonomic Serial Number used by the Governments of Canada and USA for the Single
Window) or any other equivalent in global environment should be considered for the development of alert
method;
(g)
The introduction of pathogens and other microscopic invasives associated with live
species trade may increase with the growth of e-commerce. Application of sanitary and phytosanitary
measures on the items sold via e-commerce, including the live species sold without appropriate risk
assessment, should be promoted globally.
23.
Beside the risk of biological invasion, the CITES listed species are also regulated their export and
import, and permitted trade of the listed species by the national authority are recorded in the CITES Trade
Database. As the CITES working group on e-commerce pointed out the trade via e-commerce may not be
sufficiently recorded and therefore not traceable in the CITES Trade Database. Although CITES listed
species are not always with risk of biological invasion those not-traceable cases may increase with the
growing e-commerce.
24.
To promote a certificate systems as provisions under the IPPC and the CITES, national measures
have to be in place. The Single Window Initiative may have a high potential to ensure that the
8
http://www.invadingspecies.com/
http://www.sanbi.org/information/infobases/invasive-alien-plant-alert
10
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise/
9
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anonymous suppliers and buyers in e-commerce provide records of their transactions and take the formal
steps to obtain the permissions set by the country and fill the forms to meet import requirements.
25.
The fifth National Reports11 to the CBD showed that many Parties have started to list priority
species to regulate their imports and minimize the risk of establishment and spread. The information on
alien species that are of the concern in each country can be made available through the national Single
Window system.
26.
The development of a national Single Window system also supports to connect the relevant
authorities under the jurisdiction for management of invasive alien species, which include the authorities
for the environment, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, health, transport and finally trade,
economy and treasury that oversees customs. The implementation of the Single Window system at the
national level would facilitate the environmental concerns in wildlife/living species trade to be reflected
to the border controls and contribute to mainstreaming biodiversity, as it develops.
IV.
CONCLUSION
27.
The risk of invasions posed by the growing e-commerce is increasing. Parties, other Governments
and relevant international organizations are invited:
(a)
To raise awareness on biological invasion risk associated with items sold via e-commerce
through various internet media in particular on the risk of live species sold without appropriate risk
assessment;
(b)
To promote campaigns on various internet media with close collaboration between the
national and regional authorities in the environment, international trade, border controls, as well as
industry network that are related to trade in wildlife;
(c)
To consider incorporation of regulatory measures in the implementation of the national
Single Window taking into account the risk of biological invasions of a wide range of taxa that are sold
via e-commerce.
28.
Recognizing the lack of commodity-specific international standards to prevent and minimize the
risks associated with live organisms in trade, the CBD and relevant international organizations should:
(a)
Prioritize standard setting for the export, shipping, handling and import of live organisms
and report to SBSTTA on its progress prior to the 14 meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(b)
Promote the Single Windows Initiative and facilitate its national implementation, in
collaboration with World Customs Organization and relevant United Nations bodies, to include
appropriate recording and tracking of goods and commodities containing live organisms;
(c)
With regard to the consignments containing live organisms, promote, in collaboration
with IATA and relevant international bodies for shipping and transporting of goods in trade, appropriate
labeling of the potential hazard to biodiversity and measures preventing the escape of live organisms from
confined condition.
__________
11
https://www.cbd.int/reports/nr5/