Meeting at at the Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland April 22-26, 1996
Convener: Dr. Sergej Olenin (Lithuania)
Chairman: Prof. Dr. Erkki Leppäkoski (Finland)
Secretary and rapporteur: Kristina Jansson (Sweden) and Stephan Gollasch (Germany)
1. Activities between Klaipeda and Gdynia meetings.
The BMB WG 30 NEMO was established by the BMB Committee in 1994.
The first meeting of the Working Group was held at Klaipeda University,
Lithuania, June 5-9 1995. Objectives of the Working Group were
defined as following:
- to promote a closer cooperation between biologists dealing
with NEMOs within the Baltic and between the Baltic and other marine
areas, e.g. the Black Sea since both seas are affected by NEMOs;
- to collect and summarise information on NEMOs in the Baltic Sea
in order to make a co-operative report (or monograph) covering their
role in the ecosystem they invaded;
- to elaborate recommendations for HELCOM to include NEMO issues
in revised Guidelines of Baltic Monitoring Programme.
A network of researchers was established in order to exchange
information in-between Baltic countries. Presently the provisional
directory of scientists working with non-indigenous species in the
Baltic Sea area includes about 40 names. Some of the BMB WG NEMO
members are also national representatives to the ICES WG ITMO.
After consultations it was decided that a joint meeting of the two
working groups should take place, preferably in the Baltic Sea area,
to consider current critical issues arising from exotic species
invasions in the Baltic Sea, and the potential risk of future
invasions via shipping and other anthropogenic activities, and to
facilitate contacts with Eastern European experts on the issues of
introductions and transfers.
A statement to HELCOM made by the Working Group at its first meeting
in Klaipeda was appreciated by the HELCOM Environmental Committee
(EC). Inter alia, the EC invited ICES and BMB to provide an
inventory of the introduced species which could then be used as
a basis for further decisions; requested the HELCOM Contracting
Parties to take action to reduce the risks associated with the
intentional introductions; considered possibilities to include
monitoring of distribution of already established species in the
mandatory part of the Baltic Monitoring Programme and Coastal
Monitoring Programme.
Presently a database on the Baltic NEMOs is under development.
During last year it was enlarged by some new entries. An attempt
was made at the Centre for Information Technology and Environmental
Studies, Klaipéda University to produce a prototype of Multimedia
Encyclopaedia on exotic species in the Baltic Sea.
In order to rise public awareness on the matter the WG NEMO members
have published several popular scientific articles in newspapers
and journals, also posters were made on newly introduced species.
Mutual points of interest for BMB WG 30 NEMO and ICES WGITMO.
The joint meeting of two working groups made it possible to
identify many points of common interest:
- maintain close working communications between the two working groups,
- identify possible joint research projects and sources of funding,
- improve the means for fast dissemination of information within and between Working Groups through electronically based information systems (e.g. e-mail),
- compile a worldwide inventory of data on non indigenous species, preferably available electronically,
- identify "hot spot" invasive organisms and "hot spot" areas,
- document effects and impacts (ecological, economic and social) of introduced species,
- seek including of alien species in national Action Plans for biodiversity,
- inform the public and politicians about the threat posed by unwanted introductions of alien species,
- include alien species in studies on biogeography.
ICES WGITMO:
- geographic coverage encompass member countries
around the North Atlantic, however seeing this as a problem
requiring co-operation and exchange of information on a global
basis;
- genetically modified organisms;
- development and
adaptation of the ICES "Code of practice";
- proposals on releases
of non indigenous species into the wild (aquaculture);
- national reports covering new laws and regulations, deliberate and
accidental introductions and transfers, live imports and exports
to ICES Member Countries, planned introductions of new species,
meetings and recent literature in the field.
BMB WG NEMO:
- geographic coverage focused mainly on
NEMOs in the Baltic Sea, recognising the global nature of this
problem;
- inventory on NEMO's in the Baltic area;
- an
INTERNET homepage and e-mail discussion list on Baltic NEMOs
in order to get information of newly found aliens;
- study
course on invasive ecology for university students from the Baltic
Sea countries.
From organisational point of view the WGITMO is a permanent body existing already nearly twenty years within the ICES structure, while the BMB WG NEMO is a temporal group with a term of reference of 4-5 years. Representatives to the ICES WGITMO are nominated by appropriate governmental structures, while membership in the WG NEMO is open for all Baltic biologists.
2. Main issues relating to the Baltic NEMO's.
At the meeting the following main issues relating to Baltic NEMO's were identified.
Vulnerability of the Baltic sea and need of impact assesment.
Waves of species invasions are well known from different places
all over the world: the Black Sea, Great Lakes, San Francisco Bay,
Australia, etc. A lot of them caused negative impacts including
severe economic consequences. The Baltic Sea region also is
characterised by frequent species invasions, what clearly
demonstrates the vulnerability of its ecosystems. Examples from
the areas with similar invasive histories prove that a harmful
species invasion to the Baltic Sea region is very likely.
The lack of harmful impact events in the Baltic Sea area up to now
may also be due to a lack of appropriate information. Proper
impact assessments of earlier introductions are needed since there
are already examples of habitat or/and trophic flow modifications
by invasive species: Dreissena polymorpha in the Curonian Lagoon,
Marenzelleria viridis in the Vistula Lagoon and Darst Zingst
Boddens, Neogobius melanostomus in inshore waters of the Gdansk
Bay, etc. These changes may in turn make predictions of effects
of other anthropogenic impacts difficult, since they will be
based on old rather than current knowledge/understanding of the
ecosystem. We do not know also economical consequences of
introductions (for instance, has Balanus improvisus increased the
use of antifouling paints; or what are the costs of cleaning water
intakes from introduced fouling organisms in the Baltic region ?).
Forecasting and preventing of introductions.
Rather than combating problem species such as the jelly-comb
Mnemiopsis in the Black Sea or zebra mussel in the Great Lakes
it is more preferable to try to prevent introductions.
Is the Baltic next in turn for a major "disaster" and should we
have to wait for such a "motivating species" before we actually
do anything about introduced species? It is highly unlikely that
we already know what introduced species are present in "our" waters.
Forecasting of possible exotic species establishments within the
Baltic Sea area should take account of the vectors that are
suspected in previous invasions of NEMO's. Also surveys of marine
biodiversity should be funded or undertaken as part of an overall
monitoring programme to determine NEMO's establishments at an
early stage.
Pro active approach
Introduced/alien species are not equivalent to a re colonization
of the Baltic after the ice age. Very few, if any, of these species
would have been able to get here by themselves without the aid of
Man. In other words the Baltic as a brackish water island,
surrounded by either land or marine barriers. Therefore research
models (predictions) of future invasions/invaders and potential
consequences are important.
Conservation issues
Re-establishment of native species which formerly were abundant
and at present are either rare or absent (e.g. sturgeon and
harbour seal) in the Baltic Sea should be considered as an
important conservation measure.
3. Inventory on the Baltic sea region NEMO.
Following the conclusions of the Klaipeda meeting in 1995 the
first presentations have been made to an inventory of the Baltic
Sea NEMOs: Neogobius melanostomus (by K.Skora); Cercopagis
pengoi (by H. Ojaveer); Salmo gairdneri, Perccottus glehni
and Anguillicuola crassus (by Elena Karasjeva, entries prepared
in co-operation with other specialists from Kaliningrad research
institutes); Corophium multisetosum (by A. Janta); Gammarus
tigrinus (by P. Gruszka); Eriocheir sinensis (by S. Gollasch).
New entries are very welcome.
4. Education and training.
A proposal to organise a post-graduated course on Ecology of
Marine and Estuarine Introductions and Invasions was made by Prof.
Erkki Leppäkoski. He will make an application for the course to
NorFA. If the application is successful the course will take place
in summer 1997.
5. Possible Cooperation with Smithsonian environmental research centre (SERC).
After a discussion between Drs J. Carlton and B.-I.Dybern,
Dr. Carlton arranged a contact to the SERC, working with
introduction problems at the American east coast, especially
in the Cheapeake Bay area. A letter was received from the Centre,
signed by Dr. G. M. Ruiz. The letter was distributed among
participants and discussed. Dr. Dybern suggested that an answer
should be sent, signed by the General Secretary of BMB and the
convener of the BMB WG NEMO.
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