In a unanimous 3-0 decision that has ramifications for waters across the country—from Long Island Sound to the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico to San Francisco Bay—the U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit ruled on October 6th that the U.S. EPA failed its responsibility under the Clean Water Act to protect U.S. waters from aquatic invasive species introduced by ballast water discharge. Ballast water ...[Read More]
EPA Failed to Protect US Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species, Court Says
NWF Praises Constrictor Snake Species Listing as “Injurious Species”
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) praised the March 6th announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that it is banning import of four species of large constrictor snakes that pose a serious risk to America’s wildlife and their habitats. Large non-native constrictors, such as the Burmese python, are devastating native wildlife in places such as Florida’s Everglades. The announce ...[Read More]
Tackling the Challenge of Invasive Species: A Coordinated and Comprehensive National Response
Today the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) released a document outlining a vision for a comprehensive national response in order to tackle the challenge of invasive species. The vision is intended to address the inadequate authority, capacity, and coordination of the current federal response to invasive species issues. The NECIS vision is unique in that it emphasizes t ...[Read More]
Bill to Add 9 Snake Species to Prohibited List Passes Committee
Last week the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 511, a bill from Representative Rooney (R-FL) that would add nine species of large constrictor snakes to the list of species that are prohibited from being imported or crossing state lines. Unfortunately, this positive effort was undermined by an amendment to allow a broad exemption for certain exhibitors of snakes, including many roadside ...[Read More]
Threats to Biosecurity from Invasive Species
At the 2012 National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Environment and Security, the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) provided a forum for discussing the potential threats that invasive species presents to “biosecurity” in the United States and across the globe. Several National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) members framed p ...[Read More]
NECIS Comments on First Species Proposed for Screening List
On September 26th, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) submitted recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on an important new rule as part of the regulations that govern the importation of plants. NECIS has worked for years to strengthen federal screening of horticultural imports. In 2011 USDA APHIS compl ...[Read More]
Economics Study Shows Risk Assessment of Potentially Invasive Animal Species Pays Off
Findings demonstrate substantial returns on screening program relative to current costs of open-door policy WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2011 — In a major new study published in the journal Ecological Economics, scientists and economists have, for the first time, statistically demonstrated the net benefits of doing risk assessments for the live wild animal trade. The study estimates that the long-term exp ...[Read More]
Jumping Fish Invade Louisiana
You can’t help but laugh watching the wild web videos of Asian carp leaping out of the water in states like Illinois and Indiana, but you may not realize this problem hits close to home. Invasive species expert Michael Massimi from the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program says it’s no laughing matter. We spent a day boating with Massimi and Nichols State University ...[Read More]
Pet Shop Fish Confiscated At Airport
Fish headed to pet shop confiscated at O’Hare By Katie Drews A shipment of tropical fish commonly found in pet shops was recently confiscated at O’Hare Airport for breaking the City of Chicago’s invasive species ordinance, officials said. During a routine customs inspection at the airport, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent discovered approximately 350 Oriental weather loaches imported from Chin ...[Read More]
NECIS Comments on Climate Adaptation Strategy
Yesterday, the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) delivered comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. The coalition commended FWS for the development of the Climate Adaptation strategy and focused their comments on strengthening actions to prevent and control invasive species. For the complete co ...[Read More]