Update on the Code of conduct on invasive alien aquatic plants in the Netherlands
The Dutch Code of conduct on invasive alien aquatic plants has been implemented in the Netherlands in 2010. This Code of conduct represents a tool for dialogue and cooperation on invasive alien plants in between governmental institutions and those importing, producing, selling and planting species. Such a Code of conduct needs to be constantly renegotiated and to be flexible enough to include new species potentially invasive in trade.
As a consequence, 3 ecological assessments were performed for the Netherlands for 3 species newly traded as ornamental or aquarium plants: Lagarosiphon major (Hydrocharitaceae, EPPO List of IAP),;Mimulus guttatus (Phrymaceae) and Vallisneria spiralis (Hydrocharitaceae). The Belgian Invasive Species Environmental Impact Assessment (ISEIA) protocol was used to perform these ecological assessments.
These assessments represented a basis for discussion with the nursery industry in the Netherlands. The result of these assessments and the content of the basic documents produced to support the assessments are presented in EPPO RS 2013/071, 2013/072).
Sources
Q-bank website, Invasive Plants: http://www.q-bank.eu/Plants/
The Belgian Invasive Species Environmental Impact Assessment (ISEIA) protocol. http://ias.biodiversity.be/documents/ISEIA_protocol.pdf
J van Valkenburg, Dutch Plant Protection Organization, E-mail: j.l.c.h.van.valkenburg@minlnv.nl