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Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments in introduction of alien birds or other alien species in
February 2004 in response to the risk from ballast water protected areas, although this is currently not reflected
invasions. This convention, which still needs to be in the corresponding reporting formats (Article 17 of the
ratified by the countries to enter into effect, requires the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive).
establishment of ballast water management systems on
ships, with the goal of preventing the movement of live - The Aquaculture Regulation (Council Regulation (EC)
organisms. No 708/2007 of 11 June 2007 concerning use of alien
and locally absent species in aquaculture) establishes
At EU level, the ‘Biodiversity strategy to 2020’ (COM a framework to assess and minimize the possible
(2011)244) sets a specific target to address the issue of impact of alien and locally absent species used in
IAS and proposes the preparation of a dedicated aquaculture, including procedures for risk assessment,
legislative instrument to tackle the problem. While work is to ensure adequate protection of aquatic habitats from
still under way on developing specific EU legislation to the use of non-native species.
combat IAS and on the EU Strategy on Invasive Species,
the management of marine invasive species could be - The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/
considered to fall under different regulations that partially 60/EC) also refers to IAS issues.
cover certain aspects of IAS:
In parallel, there are numerous laws and regulations that
- The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Directive offer management options to prevent the introduction of
2008/56/EC), whose overall objective is to achieve IAS or to control established invasive populations in the
good environmental status in the EU´s marine waters Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the wide range of tools, from
by 2020, uses IAS as one of the key descriptors for the simple to advanced, and enforcement methods makes it
initial marine strategy assessment. The criteria for difficult to minimize the risk of IAS from neighbouring
assessing progress towards good environmental status areas. A comprehensive strategy to effectively manage the
will be based, inter alia, on (1) the abundance and IAS threat to MPAs requires addressing IAS at the MPA site
spatial distribution of non-indigenous species (NIS), in level, at the protected area system (national and MedPAN)
particular invasive species; and (2) the environmental level, and via national and international policies (Tu, 200;
impact of invasive non-indigenous species. MedPAN Draft IAS Strategy, 2012). Managers can assist
in the development and enforcement of some of these
- Similarly, the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC of policies by keeping policy makers and relevant institutions
21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats informed, while also supporting IAS coordination
and of wild fauna and flora) and the Birds Directive programmes, documenting the current impacts of IAS on
(Directive 2009/147/EC) include a very general provision their protected areas and identifying the resources needed
requiring that Member States avoid or regulate the to address IAS prevention and management.

Lagocephalus sceleratus. Photo: A. Can - www.alpcan.com

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