An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Recommendation 17–5The National Invasive Species Council and the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, workingwith other appropriate entities, should establish and implement a national plan for earlydetection of invasive species and a well-publicized system for prompt notification and rapidresponse.The plan should:• provide risk assessments for potentially invasive species, including possible pathways ofintroduction.• conduct a comprehensive national biological survey and monitoring program for earlydetection, building upon recent progress in this area by academia, the U.S. GeologicalSurvey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency.• determine the threshold needed to trigger a rapid response and develop environmentallysound rapid-response, eradication, and control actions.• designate resources for implementing surveys and eradication programs.• develop partnerships among government and industry to fund and implement responseactions.Recommendation 17–6The National Ocean Council (NOC) should review and streamline the current proliferationof programs for managing aquatic invasive species in marine environments, and shouldcoordinate federal, regional, and state efforts. Consolidated plans should be implementedto develop risk assessment and management approaches for intentional and unintentionalspecies introductions that minimize the potential of invasions at the lowest cost.Specifically, the NOC should:• review the effectiveness of existing programs and legal authorities and clarify the linesof responsibility and enforcement authority, including responsibility for intentionalintroductions of non-native species.• develop long-term goals and measures for evaluating effective performance.• estimate funding needs to prevent the introduction of invasive species, including supportfor regional and state programs.• determine whether, in the long term, a single agency should be charged with preventingthe entry of, monitoring, and containing invasive species in coastal and marine waters.Recommendation 17–7The United States should take a leading role in the global effort to control the spread ofaquatic invasive species by working internationally to develop treaties, agreements, andpolicies to minimize the introduction and establishment of such species.Recommendation 17–8The National Ocean Council should coordinate the development and implementation of aninteragency plan for research and monitoring to understand and prevent the spread ofaquatic invasive species. The results should be used to improve management decisions andavoid future economic losses.New research and monitoring efforts should focus on:• gathering baseline taxonomic information and strengthening taxonomic skills; performingquantitative assessments of ecosystems; identifying invasive pathogens and vectors ofintroduction; and determining how invasive species disrupt ecosystem functions.• understanding the human dimensions behind species introductions, including humanbehavior, decision making, and economics.• developing new options for minimizing invasions, including innovative technologies, andtranslating these findings into practical policy options for decision makers.CHAPTER 31: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS501