7837

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7837
• Author: Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force.
• Title: Report To Congress, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations of the Intentional Introductions Policy Review.
• USFW Year: 1994.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

aquatic nuisance species, or diminish or affect
the jurisdiction of any State over species of fish
and wildlife." The Task Force interprets this pro-
vision to apply to regulatory actions. A report to
the Congress does not affect State jurisdiction
over species. Any subsequent action based on the
recommendations would be at the discretion of
Congress.
Two broad categories to which the Task Force is
not at this point prepared to extend the recom-
mendations are microbial and transgenic organ-
isms. This does not mean that the
recommendations do not take microbial organ-
isms into account. If a nonindigenous species of
shrimp was proposed for introduction, the
shrimp (and all of its allied ecological, patho-
genic, genetic, and other risks), rather than one
of its specific pathogens, would be subject to the
type of review recommended herein. The latter
would be the case if the pathogen alone was pro-
posed for introduction, e.g., for research or as a
biocontrol agent. For introductions like the latter
(the microbe alone), the Task Force is unpre-
pared to offer specific recommendations and cri-
teria. However, the introduction of the shrimp in
this example could not be adequately reviewed
without consideration of its potential as a path-
way for the spread of pathogens. This is
addressed in the "Findings" and "Conclusions
and Recommendations" sections below (see
especially, Permit Systems, Education and
Extension, and Research).
Because in their altered form transgenic organ-
isms have as such no "historic range" and entry
into any ecosystem would therefore constitute an
introduction beyond its historic range, the Task
Force does consider such organisms to fit the
definition of a nonindigenous species. The Task
Force is also in general agreement with the
American Fisheries Society's position statement
on transgenic fishes (Kapuscinski and
Hallerman, 1990, reprinted here as Appendix B).
The Task Force believes that specific recommen-
dations on transgenic and microbial organisms
(both pathogenic and non-pathogenic) should be
developed and proceed from a more detailed
review of these organisms, perhaps by the
National Research Council or the Office of
Technology Assessment with ANS Task Force
participation.
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