Bioinvasion and Global Environmental Governance: the Transnational Policy Network on Invasive Alien Species China's Actions O
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1 Bioinvasion and Global Environmental Governance: The Transnational Policy Network on Invasive Alien Species China’s Actions on IAS Description1 The People’s Republic of China is a communist state in East Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. The claimed area of the ROC includes Mainland China and several off-shore islands (Taiwan, Outer Mongolia, Northern Burma, and Tuva, which is now Russian territory). The current President Ma Ying-jeou reinstated the ROC's claim to be the sole legitimate government of China and the claim that mainland China is part of ROC's territory. The extremely diverse climate; tropical in south to subarctic in north, varies over the diverse terrain, mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east. After 1978, Deng Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. Economic development has been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and approximately 200 million rural laborers and their dependents have relocated to urban areas to find work. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. For much of the population (1.3 billion), living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. China is a member of the United Nations Security Council. Overview of Biodiversity Being one of the megadiverse countries, China is home to approximately 6,347 species of vertebrates, including 581 animal, 1,244 bird, 376 reptile, 284 amphibian, and 3,862 fish species. Well-known among them are giant panda, golden monkey, South China tiger, Tibetan antelope, baiji and Chinese alligator. China has more than 30,000 higher plants, ranking third in the world. CBD Country Profile Earth Trends Country Profile on Biodiversity and Protected Areas Conserving China’s Biodiversity Website Legislation relating to IAS The PRC Domestic Animals Epidemic Prevention Regulation and PRC Plant Quarantine Regulations were issued in 1983 and revised in 1992.2 The Quarantine Law on Import and Export of Animals and Plants11 The Protection Law for Wildlife11 The Forestry Law of the P.R. China (1991)10 Regulations of Forest Pest Insect and Disease Control (1998).10 2 Government Agencies/Programs/Ministries dealing with IAS Ministry of Environmental Protection Ministry of Forestry Ministry of Agriculture Major Invasive Alien Species3 Achatina fulica (mollusc) Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (insects)2 Ageratumm conyzoides (plant)2 Lolium temulentum (plant)2 Alternanthera philoxeroides (plant) Mikania micrantha (vine, climber) Alternanthera pungens (plant)2 Myocastor coypus (mammal) Amaranthu spp. (Plant)2 Ondatra zibethicus (mammal)2 Ambrosia artemisiifolia (herb) Opogona sacchari (insects)2 Ampullaria gigas (mollusks)2 Oracella acuta (insect) Anser Canadensis (bird)2 Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (fish diseases)2 Aristichthys nobilis (fish)2 Perca fluviatilis (fish) Blattella germanica (Insects)2 Periplaneta americana (insects)2 Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (nematode) Phylloxera vitifolii (insects)2 Cacacatua sulpurea (bird)2 Plantago spp. (plant)2 Cactaceae spp. (plant)2 Pomacea canaliculata (mollusc) Ceratocystis fimbriata (fungi)2 Procambius clarkia (crustaceans)2 Chenopodium ambrosioides (plant)2 Pseudorasbora parva (fish)2 Conyza spp. (plant)2 Rattus norvegicus (mammal) Dendroctonus valens (insect) Rattus tanezumi (mammal)2 Eichhornia crassipes (aquatic plant) Setaria verticillata (grass) Erigeron annuus (plant)2 Solanum aculeatissimum (plant)2 Eriosoma lanigerum (insects)2 Solidago altissma (plant)2 Eupatorium adenophorum (plant)2 Sorghum halepense (grass) Eupatorium cannabinum (herb) Spartina anglica (plant)2 Gambusia affinis (fish) Technomyrmex albipes (insect) Hemiberlesia pitysophila (insect) Termitidae spp. (insects)2 Hyphantria cunea (insect) Tradescantia spathacea (herb) Lantana camara (shrub) Trihoglossus haematotus (bird)2 Liriomyza sativae (insects)2 Triodanis (plant)2 Native Species Exported/Introduced to Non-Native Environments 3 Abelmoschus moschatus (herb, shrub) Aristichthys nobilis (fish) Acanthogobius flavimanus (fish) Asterias amurensis (sea star) Acer ginnala (tree) Aulacaspis yasumatsui (insect) Adelges tsugae (insect) Azolla pinnata (aquatic plant) Agrilus planipennis (insect) Bromus inermis (grass) Ailanthus altissima (tree, shrub) Butomus umbellatus (aquatic plant) Alternanthera sessilis (herb) Carassius auratus (fish) Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (vine) Caulerpa taxifolia (algae) Anoplophora glabripennis (insect) Celastrus orbiculatus (vine, climber) 3 Channa marulius (fish) Herpestes javanicus (mammal) Charybdis japonica (crustacean) Houttuynia cordata (aquatic plant, shrub) Cirsium arvense (herb) Leuciscus idus (fish) Corbula amurensis (mollusc) Limnophila sessiliflora (herb) Corvus splendens (bird) Lotus corniculatus (herb) Cryphonectria parasitica (fungus) Lutjanus kasmira (fish) Ctenopharyngodon idella (fish) Panicum repens (grass) Cyprinus carpio (fish) Perna viridis (mollusc) Dioscorea oppositifolia (herb, vine, climber) Pyrus calleryana (tree) Elaeagnus pungens (shrub) Rubus niveus (shrub) Elaeagnus umbellata (tree, shrub) Sagittaria sagittifolia (aquatic plant) Eriocheir sinensis (crustacean) Tinca tinca (fish) Fallopia japonica (herb, shrub) Tomicus piniperda (insect) Frangula alnus (shrub) Tridentiger trigonocephalus (fish) Harmonia axyridis (insect) Typha latifolia (aquatic plant) Table 1 Actions to prevent, detect and manage IAS categorized into three themes: biodiversity, human health, and economic Note: Actions (such as projects, publications and programs) are classified according to the most obvious theme but may also fit into the dimensions of another. Theme Action Biodiversity Conserving China’s Biodiversity a combined effort of the Wildlife Conservation Soceity and Insitutie of Zoology. Compiled a list of Invasive Alien Species in China. In the Conservation of the Eco-Environment section of China’s Guidelines on Information Disclosure for Ministry of Environmental Protection, the management of biological safety includes the “management over environmental safety of alien invasive species.” In 2002, the impact of IAS towards biodiversity became more of a serious issue. IAS such as water hyacinth, smooth cord-grass, crofton weed, mile-a-minute weed, have made seriously damaged China’s biodiversity and eco-environment and caused enormous economic loss.9 As such, in successive years the Report on the State of the Environment in China included a section on “Prevention and Control of the Invasion of Alien Species”(see following 3 bullet points). In 2003, the Ministry of Agriculture established the "Office for the Management of Invasive Alien Species" and the "Center for the Prevention and Control of Invasive Alien Species". Experimental projects were implemented in Liaoning Province, Kaiyuan City (Yunnan Province), Tengchong County (Yunnan Province), Xichang City (Sichuan Province), Ningnan City (Sichuan Province), and Renhe District of Panzhihua City (Sichuan Province) to eliminate invasive alien species such as bitterweed and crofton weed. 8 million people participated in activities for eliminating 4 bitterweed anc crofton weed. 19.2 billion bitterweeds had been elimated on 860,000 hectares. In key areas, the elimination rate of bitterweeds was over 80%. 4,000 hectares of crofton weed had also been eliminated.8 In 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture formulated and issued the Contingency Plan for Major Agricultural Incidents Concerning Harmful Species and Alien Invasive Species, collected the information and data of over 300 alien invasive species, established the database of alien invasive species in China and compiled the Catalogue of Major Agricultural and Forest Alien Invasive Species in China. In addition, the ministry also conducted adaptability risk assessment of 10 major potential invasive species. It carried out the demonstration of comprehensive technologies on the prevention and control of 8 invasive weed species and four invasive insects, continued the initiative of wiping out alien invasive species in 100 counties of 10 provinces by mobilizing more than 10 million person/time to carry out concentrated wiping out of such weeds as purple-stem herba lycopi, ragweed, alternanthera philoxeroides and little-blossom caltrop. As a result, the above mentioned plants were eliminated on over 20 million mu of land or waters.5 In 2006, the Ministry of Environment carried out investigations on the invasion of hazardous alien species in 26 national nature reserves across China. The findings show that there is such invasion in all 26 nature reserves with total 131 species. Low latitude regions such as islands and tropical areas are subject to relatively severe threats with more invasion species. And high latitude regions have lighter threats with less invasive species. At present, Crofton weed (Eupatorium adenophorum Spreng) is still the most hazardous alien species in Southwest China. The Ministry of Agriculture continued the organization and implementation of Elimination of the Hazardous Alien Species in 100 Counties of