47 



TESTIMONY OF ROBERT DAVISON,i DEPUTY ASSISTANT SEC- 

 RETARY FOR FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS, U.S. DEPART- 

 MENT OF THE INTERIOR 



Mr. Davison. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you for 

 holding this hearing today and for your interest in this subject. 

 Also, before I start, I just want to indicate that I have Gary Ed- 

 wards who is with me, who is the Assistant Director of the Fish 

 and Wildlife Service for Fisheries and the co-chair of the Aquatic 

 Nuisance Species Task Force. 



I want to thank you for this opportunity to provide the Commit- 

 tee with a summary of the efforts, poHcies and concerns of the De- 

 partment of the Interior concerning non-indigenous species. The 

 global transfer of non-indigenous organisms is one of the most per- 

 vasive and perhaps least recognized effects that we humans have 

 on the ecosystems of the world. 



It is important to realize that once a species is introduced into 

 an open ecosystem, it is often virtually impossible to remove it. For 

 all intents and purposes, introduction is like extinction; it is for- 

 ever. Thus, the most important strategy appears to us to be to pre- 

 vent the introduction and consequent spread of harmful non-indige- 

 nous species. 



The Department of the Interior manages many programs dealing 

 with non-indigenous species. The National Biological Survey has 

 established a research and monitoring program to determine the 

 ecological effects of non-indigenous species, to develop methods 

 which can be used to prevent their introduction, to develop environ- 

 mentally safe control measures, and to monitor their distribution 

 and spread. Activities range from evaluating the effectiveness of 

 fences and controlling feral animals in the Hawaii Volcanoes Na- 

 tional Park to determining the response of black bears to gypsy 

 moth induced mortality of trees. 



The National Biological Survey has recently joined an inter- 

 agency effort to develop a coordinated approach to contain invasive 

 non-indigenous weeds. In partnership with other Federal and State 

 agencies, the Biological Survey also conducts research on the chem- 

 ical and biological control of sea lampreys in the Great Lakes. 



Additional non-native species research activities being conducted 

 by the National Biological Survey include cooperative efforts by the 

 Alaska and Madison Centers on a study of the role of non-native 

 birds as competitors and vectors of pathogens to native Hawaiian 

 forest birds. 



Beyond these activities of the National Biological Survey, the De- 

 partment is also coordinating with other Federal, State, tribal and 

 local governments to implement the Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nui- 

 sance Prevention and Control Act of 1990. The Aquatic Nuisance 

 Species Task Force established by the Act has proven to be an ex- 

 cellent mechanism for interagency coordination. 



As co-chairs of the task force, the Fish and Wildlife Service and 

 NOAA are jointly responsible for implementing most provisions of 

 the Act in consultation and cooperation with other members of the 

 task force. The Fish and Wildlife Service provides staff support to 



1 The prepared statement of Mr. Davison appears on page 100. 



