NORTH CAROLINA ria ut N e Mystery er Prim es S Wat ros in na e Ch il Aquatic ish F on Nuisance Li rn Sna Species Nor the kehead Marbled Cray fish Hydrill a h Spo fis tted Jelly MANAGEMENT PLAN NORTH CAROLINA AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared by the NC Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Committee October 1, 2015 Approved by: Steve Troxler, Commissioner North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Donald R. van der Vaart, Secretary North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Gordon Myers, Executive Director North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Executive Summary I. Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 The difference between Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) ................................................................5 Plan Purpose, Scope and Development ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Aquatic Invasive Species Vectors and Impacts ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 Interactions with Other Plan ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 II. Problem Description .................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Background .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Ecological Impacts ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Economic Impacts ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 III. Pathways of Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................13 Stocking ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Bait Release ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Aquarium Release .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Hitchhiker ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Aquaculture ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Additional Pathways ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 IV. Aquatic Nuisance Species of Concern ......................................................................................................................................................16 Freshwater Plants .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Freshwater Animals ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Marine / Estuarine Animals ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 High Risk ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 V. Jurisdiction and Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................................................................19 State Entities .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services ................................................................................................................. 19 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission .................................................................................................................................................... 20 North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 North Carolina Division of Water Resources ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 Other State Entities ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Federal Agencies ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 United States Fish and Wildlife Service ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ............................................................................................................................................. 25 National Park Service ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 United States Army Corps of Engineers ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 United States Coast Guard ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Environmental Protection Agency ............................................................................................................................................................................... 26 United States Forest Service ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Other Entities............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Aquatic Nuisance Species Regulatory Concerns ......................................................................................................................................................... 28 Aquaculture ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Aquatic Weed Authority ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Aquarium and Ornamental Fish Trade & Water Garden Industries .............................................................................................................