Abstract
AbstractThe European Non‐native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS) was developed in response to European ‘Council Regulation No. 708/2007 of 11 June 2007 concerning use of alien and locally absent species in aquaculture’ to provide protocols for identifying and evaluating the potential risks of using non‐native species in aquaculture. ENSARS is modular in structure and adapted from non‐native species risk assessment schemes developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation and for the UK. Seven of the eight ENSARS modules contain protocols for evaluating the risks of escape, introduction to and establishment in open waters, of any non‐native aquatic organism being used (or associated with those used) in aquaculture, that is, transport pathways, rearing facilities, infectious agents, and the potential organism, ecosystem and socio‐economic impacts. A concluding module is designed to summarise the risks and consider management options. During the assessments, each question requires the assessor to provide a response and confidence ranking for that response based on expert opinion. Each module can also be used individually, and each requires a specific form of expertise. Therefore, a multidisciplinary assessment team is recommended for its completion.
Highlights
The protocols commonly used in non-native species risk analysis schemes are derivatives of hazard assessment protocols developed during the late 20th Century to ensure human health and safety in the nuclear industry (Copp et al 2005a)
ENSARS is modular in structure and adapted from non-native species risk assessment schemes developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation and for the UK
The aim of this paper is to provide a summary of the development of the European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS)
Summary
The protocols commonly used in non-native species risk analysis schemes are derivatives of hazard assessment protocols developed during the late 20th Century to ensure human health and safety in the nuclear industry (Copp et al 2005a). Four common elements to all risk analysis schemes are: 1) Hazard Identification, 2) Hazard Assessment, 3) Risk Management and Communication, and 4) Risk Review and Reporting These elements should be implemented simultaneously rather than in sequence, given that risks can be reduced merely by communicating (and where necessary educating) with industry and the general public to the hazards associated with the release of non-native organisms into the open environment. The risk analysis process involves protocols with which to identify potentially invasive species and to assess the risks associated with those species The outcomes of this process are intended to inform decision makers of potential risks, leading either to a prohibition of use or to a risk management programme that strives to reduce or mitigate risks to the environment or natural renewable resources. The management approach used to deal with alien species should consider interactions between major pathways of introduction (Savini et al 2010)
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