Environmental pest risk assessment New Zealand experience

1
Environmental pest risk assessment New Zealand
experience

• Christine Reed, Risk Analysis Group
• Toni Tana, Surveillance and Incursion Response
  Group,
  
• SPS and Risk Assessment
• August 2005

2
Overview

• AHTEG Meeting of CBD, May 2005, Auckland, New
  Zealand
  
• Gaps in the International Regulatory
  Framework In Relation To Invasive Alien Species.
  
  
• Case studies
• exotic spiders in table grapes (IPPC framework)
• release assessment for red imported fire ants
  (OIE framework)
  
• Development of a methodology for assessing risks
  associated with inanimate objects
  

3
International Regulatory Framework for Invasive
Alien Species

• Ad Hoc Technical Expert Meeting of Convention on
  Biological Diversity, May 2005, Auckland, New
  Zealand
  
• Gaps in the International Regulatory
  Framework In Relation To Invasive Alien Species.
  
  
• Final report on the CBD site
• http//www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/sbstta/sbs
  tta-11/information/sbstta-11-inf-04-en.doc
  

4
AHTEG of CBD gaps in the international
regulatory framework

• Main conclusions
• Actions taken to address invasive alien species
  need to be taken at the right level(s), which
  might be international, regional, national and/or
  sub-national.
• In many cases, problems are not caused by gaps in
  the international regulatory framework, but
  actually lie with inadequate implementation at
  national level.

5
Conclusions (cont.)

• For most pathways for the introduction and spread
  of invasive alien species, the most important
  factor influencing implementation of article 8(h)
  is national capacity.
• A significant general gap in the international
  regulatory framework relates to lack of
  international standards to address animals that
  are invasive alien species but are not pests of
  plants under the International Plant Protection
  Convention.
• Gaps in the international regulatory framework do
  not necessarily limit the ability of governments
  to address such gaps at national level.
  

6
Protecting New Zealands natural advantage
New Zealanders, our unique natural resources, our
plants and animals are protected from damaging
pests and diseases.
7
SPS Agreement

• SPS Agreement enables sanitary and phytosanitary
  measures to be taken, in the context of trade, to
  protect human, animal or plant life or health,
  provided that those measures either conform to
  international standards or are scientifically
  justified on the basis of assessment of risks

8
Case study exotic spiders in table grapes

• Trade in California table grapes suspended in
  November 1999 after four widow spiders and other
  exotic spiders detected post-border
  
• Inter-agency project team established to assess
  biosecurity risks to human health and to the
  environment
  

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Exotic spiders in table grapes - Scope

• The likelihood and consequence of the
  establishment of the exotic spiders associated
  with the table grape trade in New Zealand
  
• Included all exotic spiders intercepted at the
  border or post-border in NZ from table grapes
  from all countries California, Chile,
  Australia, Mexico

10
Case study exotic spiders in table grapes

• Health Impact Assessment (Ministry of Health)
• Pest Risk assessment (MAF)using IPPC framework
• Mitigation measures agreed and consulted on
• Import Health Standard issued

11
Case study hazard ID and release assessment for
Red Imported Fire Ant

• Incursion in February 2001
• Used OIE framework
• Hazard identification
• Release assessment
• Likelihood of introduction by country
• Likelihood of introduction by fomite class
  (people, craft, containers, packaging,
  commodities, mail, courier mail)
  

12
Inanimate objects development of methodologies
for risk assessment

• MAF Biosecurity New Zealand is designing an
  import risk analysis methodology to address risks
  associated with the importation of inanimate
  objects.
• Consistent with animal and plant risk analysis
  frameworks
  

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What is an inanimate object RA?

• Inanimate objects those imports not of plant or
  animal origin e.g, metal products, ceramics,
  bricks, aircraft, ships, containers.
  

14
Why do an inanimate object import RA?

• Traditional Import risk analysis tends to
  consider organisms/diseases that are directly
  associated with imported plant and animal
  products.
• However, there are organisms of potential
  environmental, plant, animal or human health
  concern that could be introduced on inanimate
  objects.
• Inanimate object risk analysis is not limited to
  commodities but can be used on packaging,
  containers and vessels transporting the
  commodities.

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Why do an inanimate object import RA?

• Hitchhiker (environmental) pests
• Examples
• Ticks in couches
• Spiders in cars
• Mosquitoes in car tyres
• Snakes, geckos, spiders in/on Sea containers
• Ants in tents and shoes

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International obligations
Plants, plant products and other
pathways (includes animals and ina
nimate)

Animals and animal products
OIE
IPPC
Plant health
Animal and human health, the environment, and
resulting socioeconomic effects

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International obligations
Object for import (or pathway)
Plant
Inanimate
Animal
Neither allows animal health or zoonotic measure
s to be placed on inanimate objects or plants/
plant products.
Plant health
Animal Human health
Mitigation can be applied to protect
18
Outcomes

• New Zealands inanimate RA framework must be
• consistent with the IPPC standards where measures
  are to be applied to protect plant health
  
• meet the requirements of the SPS when developing
  measures to protect plant, animal, and human
  health
  
• In addition, given that
• OIE is the international organisation recognised
  for animal health and zoonosis,
  
• and the intent of a portion of measures developed
  will be to protect human and animal health (the
  intent of the OIE),
  
• the OIE framework will be integrated for animal
  issues.
  

19
Outcomes

• The draft risk analysis framework developed
• combines both the OIE and IPPC frameworks
• meets IPPC and SPS requirements.
• The OIE and IPPC frameworks have a similar
  components.
  

Fire ants in relay switch box from traffic box.
Photo by Bart Drees.
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CONCLUSION

• It is possible to adapt existing risk assessment
  frameworks (IPPC and OIE) to address biosecurity
  risks of organisms that are neither plant pests
  or animal diseases but which might impact on the
  environment or on human health.
• However the main issue in relation to
  implementation of such assessments and measures
  based on these assessments lies with lack of
  capacity at a national level
• Where there is capacity, sharing of national or
  regional practices may be useful in addressing
  areas where no international standards exist.