Any country dealing with or contemplating introductions or transfers of aquatic organisms (marine or freshwater) between countries or within national boundaries should have or enact legislation for regulating such activity. A national coordination/consultation mechanism to review, recommend on and monitor (when approval is granted) any such activity should be established to advise administrators on the use of the regulating legislation.
This mechanism in the form of a national committee or working group, would ensure that all prospective applicants, private or government, wanting to introduce or transfer species would submit properly prepared requests to be vetted for acceptability. Such a committee or working group could actually be duplicated on a regional basis within a country to reflect different environmental conditions. Continuity on the national scene could be addressed by regions periodically meeting to discuss common goals and regional concerns and through adoption of ICES/EIFAC “codes of practice”. Appropriate regulations would be required to ensure compliance with approved protocols should permission be granted. Potential applicants would be made aware of the regulations through a national education campaign.
Where an introduction into one country may adversely affect another, the national committee or working group on introductions and transfers should forward the application to ICES for a marine species (including anadromous species) or to EIFAC for a freshwater aquatic species, for a risk analysis and recommendations prior to making a decision on an application (Appendix III, A and B).
