Biosecurity Risk Analysis

What are the aspects to consider when performing a biosecurity risk analysis for biodiversity protection?  

Biosecurity comprises the protection of human, animal, plant and environment health against biological outbreaks and contaminations. The design of such frameworks of actions should as well comprise the consideration and protection of biosecurity policies on markets of farmers and international trade.

The Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) by the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a practical example of such applications. This framework aims at recognizing sovereign rights for Member States to adopt customized policies as well as avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy on international trade where no real impact for biodiversity would be achieved.

When applying such framework in real life scenarios, it is required that a risk assessment be carried out to determine the required levels of health protection. Such risk analysis comprises four steps - hazard identification, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication - and it recognizes two distinct kinds of risks - the likelihood's evaluation of importing a pest or disease with potential biological and economic impacts or the potential food contamination by alien bodies for animals and humans ("food-borne").


What are the main reasons for introducing alien species into habitats?  

The SPS Agreement has been adopted as well by the IPCC in order to set standardized risk assessment towards health hazards in the practice of international trade. 

Nonetheless, introduction of alien species is sometimes adopted as a practice for biological control in order to impact pest species in the targeted environment. This methodology poses several risks as the outcome on non-target or beneficial species might be unpredictable if not highly harmful especially in the recorded cases of microorganisms introductions. Moreover, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are also included in the category of alien species and pose the biggest risk from the spreading of pollen from such crops to other plants.

Therefore, risk analysis and management is vital for such process in order to make sure that the rationale and objectives are thoroughly assessed.



How could a risk analysis prevent negative impacts from the introduction of alien species into an area on biodiversity?


An alternative to biosecurity frameworks which would ensure the best prevention on negative impacts from alien species could be a risk analysis performed on case by case basis. However, such approach would not exclude the omnipresent uncertainty which should always be accounted for when introducing alien species into a new biodiversity area.


References

Black, R. and I. Kireeva, (2009), International biosecurity frameworks to protect biodiversity with emphasis on science and risk assessment, in Lockie, S. and D. Carpenter (eds.) Agriculture, biodiversity and markets: Livelihoods and agroecology in comparative perspective. (London: Taylor and Francis Group)




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