Aliens Newsletter - ISSG

Most importantly, the proposed guidelines were then
reviewed by the IUCN team and prepared as an official
publication of the year-long process and this
was placed on the IUCN website in early 2010
(IUCN, 2009b). The guidelines were then officially
launched in hard copy at the WINROCK India
meeting on biofuels on 12 th February, 2010.
In this way the process was able to provide guidance
for each stage which is described in detail in
the published document. A summary of these guidelines
for each of the 4 steps follows:
1. Planning: Stakeholders involved in the production
of biofuels from introduced plant feedstocks
should conduct a cost-benefit analysis that includes
the potential costs of a consequent invasion. Governments
should develop strategic environmental
assessments to plan biofuel production at national
level while developers and investors should conduct
environmental impact assessments at project level
that would include weed risk assessments of the
species concerned. These plans should be underpinned
by contingency funds set aside as insurance
for any necessary remedial actions in the future as
well as a commitment from the outset to be vigilant
to the possibility of a biological invasion, and willingness
to take measures to prevent its spread from
the production system.
2. Importation: Importation of feedstocks and their
plant propagules should occur within a suitably robust
quarantine system which needs to be prepared
to inspect and approve/prevent unwanted or unlicensed
species. Governments should strengthen
their capacity to monitor and enforce phytosanitary
regulations and base polices on feedstock imports
on sound ecological policies. Developers and investors
should comply with all national regulations
relating to the importation of live plants or their
propagules. This includes the possible introduction
of pests and diseases associated with the feedstocks.
3. Production: Feedstock plantations should only be
developed subject to the preparation, submission
The Guidelines
The guidelines (resulting from the steps described
above) are based around the four identified stages
along the supply chain of biofuel production from
plantations of introduced plants which were described
throughout the workshops and guidelines as:
and implementation of an Environmental Management
Plan (EMP). Such plans should include:
• Detailed best practices to be followed
• A contingency strategy to manage a possible “escape”
of a biofuel plant species or a pest or disease
organism that could become invasive
• Provision of a contingency fund to support eradication,
containment, management or restoration
• Preparation and implementation modalities for a
monitoring system to check for feedstock “escapes”
and the presence of pests or pathogens emanating
from the biofuel plantation.
EMPs should be audited by a neutral third party with
the relevant expertise.
4. Transportation/Processing: Risks of invasion related
to transport and processing of feedstocks
should be minimized by reducing the distances that
viable plants and propagules are moved; meanwhile,
conversion of feedstocks should occur on-site of the
plantation if possible. Governments and developers
should ensure adequate monitoring of transport vehicles
for the presence of seeds, feedstock plant remnants
and pests. All stakeholders should promote
awareness of the risks associated with biological invasions
and the need for vigilance in ensuring that
introduced plants do not initiate invasions and that
there is a robust monitoring system to detect any
signs of invasions – particularly in susceptible habitats.
Five key recommendations: In addition to the main
guidelines, the publication describes five practical
key recommendations for biofuel producers and
processors using introduced plants as feedstocks.
Aliens 27