Australian List of Threat Categories of Non-Indigenous Vertebrates
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Australian List of Threat Categories of Non-indigenous Vertebrates Environment and Invasives Committee Revised July 2018 Table of Contents Background ..................................................................................................................................................................3 Assignment to threat categories ...................................................................................................................... 4 Table 1 Assigning species to EIC Threat Categories (shaded cells relate to assignment of reptiles and amphibians to EIC Threat Categories based on an assessed establishment risk and an allocated pest risk of extreme) – adapted from Bomford 2008 and sourced from the VPC Guidelines. ..............................................6 Table 2 List of non-indigenous species present in Australia ................................................................................7 Table 3 List of non-indigenous species that have previously been recorded in Australia and have been risk assessed for a Threat Category endorsed by VPC/IPAC ................................................................................... 26 Table 4 List on non-indigenous species that have been assessed by the Australian Government (under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and approved fro live import with a permit but are not known to be legally kept in Australia ............................................................................................. 26 Table 5 List of non-indigenous species that have been risk assess but have not been recorded in Australian and are not considered suitable for import ...................................................................................................... 27 References .................................................................................................................................................... 28 Environment and Invasives Committee – Australian List of Threat Categories of Non- indigenous Vertebrates EIC © Commonwealth of Australia 2018 ISBN 978-0-7246-6566-2 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Secretariat Environment and Invasives Committee [email protected] The South Australian Government, Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA and Victorian Government, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources collated and edited this publication for the Environment and Invasives Committee (previously the Invasive Plants and Animals Committee, and the Vertebrate Pests Committee). While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the South Australian and Victorian Government and members of the Committee (or the governments that the committee members represent) do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication. Acknowledgements The EIC acknowledges the assistance of the University of Adelaide, Zoo and Aquarium Association, the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, and Biosecurity South Australia. This list is consistent with the Guidelines for the Import, Movement and Keeping of Non- indigenous Vertebrates in Australia (Department of Agriculture, Canberra 2014) Background Plants and animals suitable for live import into Australia are on the List of Specimens Taken to be Suitable for Live Import. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), live specimens or reproductive material may only be imported if they are on the live import list. The list was established in accordance with section 303EB of the EPBC Act and has two parts. Part 1 comprises species exempt for the requirement for an import permit under the EPBC Act. Part 2 comprises species that require an import permit. The Department of the Environment and Energy manages applications and assessments for imports of live animals under Section 303EN of the EPBC Act. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources administers the Import Conditions Database. The Environment and Invasives Committee List of Threat Categories of Non-indigenous Vertebrates (the EIC List) forms a record of the non-indigenous amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that: are recorded in Australia, have been previously recorded in Australia and have been risk assessed, are suitable for live import but are not in Australia, have been risk assessed but are believed not to be present in Australia, or have been risk assessed and are not considered suitable for import (i.e. the species is not on the Commonwealth’s live import list). The EIC List does not include fish. The EIC List has been produced by the EIC and follows on from previous versions produced by the Vertebrate Pests Committee. The EIC List classifies animals into threat categories on the basis of their pest potential in line with the Vertebrate Pest Committee Guidelines for the Import Movement and Keeping of Non-Indigenous Vertebrate Animals in Australia (the VPC Guidelines; VPC 2014). Each species has been assessed for the risk it poses (SCA Technical Report Series – No 13, Commonwealth Government 1983). Where species have been subject to a specific and thorough risk assessment, i.e. the Australian Reptile and Amphibian Model and/or the Australian Bird and Mammal Model (Bomford 2008), the date the risk assessment was endorsement is listed. This list may be subject to change from time to time (with EIC approval), to reflect new introductions, changes in taxonomy of listed species or changes to threat category in accordance with a risk assessment endorsed by EIC. The list uses the following sourses as the authoritative taxonomic references: The IUCN Red List The Catalogue of Life Integrated Taxonomic Information Sysytem (ITIS) Where a species name could not be found in either of the above reference lists, a further authoratitive reference was sourced. This list is maintained by the Terrestrial Vertebrate Working Group of the EIC and should be updated on a regular basis. All changes to this list should be made in accordance with current EIC policy and must be accepted unanimously by all EIC members. The list will be reviewed and re-published by the EIC every five years. Page 3 of 28 The EIC list DOES NOT define the legal status of species under Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation. However, Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies should use this list as a reference when controlling the entry, movement and keeping of nonindigenous animals. Please contact the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy for further information about importation of non-indigenous animals into Australia. Approval to keep species that have been assigned to a threat category in accordance with the VPC Guidelines will be decided by the relevant authority in the State or Territory in which the species will be kept. Please contact the relevant State or Territory authority for further information on the movement, keeping and control of animals within each jurisdiction. Note: The VPC Guidelines were developed by the former Vertebrate Pest Committee. In 2015, this committee was merged into the Invasive Pest and Animal Committee (IPAC), under which the Vertebrate Incursions Expert Group operated. In 2018, the Environment and Invasives Committee (EIC) was established, encompassing the role of the former IPAC. The EIC Terrestrial Vertebrate Working Group replaces the Vertebrate Incursions Expert Group. Assignment to Threat Categories The national Guidelines for the Import, Movement and Keeping of Non-indigenous Vertebrates in Australia (VPC Guidelines) provide a nationally consistent framework for assessing the risk posed to environmental, economic and social values, including public safety, by species of non-indigenous vertebrates. The assessment is based (where possible) on: the danger posed by an individual animal the likelihood of establishment the consequences of establishment For birds and mammals, the three risk ranks (establishment risk, pest risk and public safety risk) are calculated and used to assign species to one of four VPC Threat Categories: Extreme, Serious, Moderate or Low (see Table 1). For reptiles and amphibians, the assessed establishment risk rank is combined with an allocated extreme pest risk rank (based on the precautionary approach), resulting in the assignment of species into one of two VPC Threat Categories: Extreme, Serious. In the absence of a specific and thorough risk assessment, early assignments of species to VPC Threat Categories were on the basis of a general assessment and expert opinion. These species have now been allocated to the extreme threat category until a thorough risk assessment is undertaken using the Australian Reptile and Amphibian Model and/or the Australian Bird and Mammal Model. Some of the species which have not had a specific and thorough risk assessment in accordance with the national VPC Guidelines are established pests and/or livestock, pet and farm animals widely kept in Australia. However, following a precautionary approach