WRP Executive Committee Meeting
Members Present: Tina Proctor, Jim Athearn, Susan Ellis, Scott Smith, Mike Stone, Nate Dechoretz, Dwight Williamson, John Chapman
Members Absent:, John Chapman, Mark Sytsma, Blaine Parker, Ted Grosholz
Next call: Thursday, July 11, 2002, 9:00 Pacific Time
1. NISA Reauthorization
Scott is working with Northeast-Midwest Institute on developing the NISA Reauthorization bill. He is going to Washington to meet with ETV to talk about ballast water testing and identify laboratories that do the testing. He will attend the testimony to talk about the bill which will be introduced before July 4. Allegra Cangelosi from the Institute has initiated bi-weekly conference calls for regional panels and other interested parties to discuss the reauthorization legislation.
Scott would like to get WRP members involved and have them promote the reauthorization and inform congressional delegations. Scott suggested that we call WRP state members and see if they would like to be involved in this process. The idea is to have members review the drafts and understand the amendments. Susan and Mike agreed that it would be helpful to have the information distilled, so they wouldn’t have to do a lot of research. Mike mentioned that there are many fish and wildlife professional associations who also should be involved in supporting the effort to Congress, particularly those organizations with offices in Washington, D.C. Tina will call all the state members and elicit their support. Any ideas on involving other organizations will be welcome.
2. Update on Inland and Coastal Committee Conference Calls
Inland Committee - Conference Call not very well attended. Discussed NZ mud snail outreach; suggested coordinated effort on the part of the states. Conclusion was that it is the same type of problem as other ANS, so don’t necessarily need different materials. Discussion about boat haulers and what should we do to follow up. At the 100th Meridian meeting there was discussion about working the people who do boat portaging at marinas at the dams along the Missouri River. The Committee discussed the Lewis and Clark signature events and agreed the WRP should have some type of presence. There was a suggestion for the September meeting agenda, that we discuss how different states deal with live bait issues and what are the shortcomings.
The Executive Committee discussed how to get more people to attend the committee conference calls. It was suggested that Tina send conference call announcements to the whole panel and make followup phone calls. Nate suggested that Robert Leavitt - California Food and Agriculture -would be a good addition to the Inland Committee. Tina will get him on the mailing list.
There was no report on the Coastal Committee since Ted was unable to attend the call.
3. Update on WRP meeting in Salt Lake City
Mike suggested a presentation on what education and information items are effective? Does putting info in fishing regulations help? He suggested that we have a person who is an expert in education for public health or fire prevention. What works and how can we focus educational efforts? How can we best target our information?
It has been suggested that we have a session on the live bait fish issue. John Chapman volunteered to do a presentation on “Introductions, Extinctions, and Standards.”
Nate, Mike, Tina and Scott will serve on a workgroup to put together a possible agenda for the next conference call.
4. 100th Meridian Meeting
Tina summarized the May 21,2002 meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Minutes are available at www.100thmeridian.org. The website contains the data from several years of boater surveys in the 100th Meridian states and others. It can be queried to determine hot spots for boaters coming from infested waters. The Initiative will be concentrating on outreach to fishing tournaments and also to portage operators who will be moving recreational boats around the Missouri River dams during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. The next meeting will be in Atchison, Kansas in June, 2003 to coincide with the Missouri River Conference.
Tina also talked about an issue that came up at the meeting: barge traffic on the Missouri as a vector for zebra mussels. Scott suggested giving information about individual state laws to barge companies, so they are aware that transportation of ANS is illegal.
5. ANS-HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) Training
Tina described the ANS-HACCP training designed to prevent the spread of ANS via aquaculture, fish stocking and wild bait fish harvest that will be held in three western states this summer. The training was developed by Minnesota Sea Grant based on processes developed by the sea food industry. The HACCP approach is flexible and stresses appropriate procedures and verification to ensure that operations pose minimal risk for spreading unwanted species. The trainings are in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 27-28, Portland, Oregon on August 7-8 and Bozeman, Montana on August 28-29. There is no cost to participants. For information, contact Tina Proctor, USFWS, at (303) 236-7862 or bettina_proctor@fws.gov.
Mike has placed a moratorium on the importation of warm water fish (can include unwanted fish) in Wyoming until they can be assured that there are no unwanted species in the shipments.
6. Coast Guard Ballast Water Standards Comments
Scott submitted comments for Washington. Scott can provide a copy for anyone who is interested.
7. Ballast Water Research Priorities
The committee discussed the issue of coming up with research priorities and the need for discussion at the next WRP meeting. There is a need for a list of priorities that is available whenever a Request for Proposals ( RFP) comes out. It was decided that the inland and coastal committees would work on the draft, the inland committee taking ANS priorities and the coastal committee taking ballast water priorities. They will disseminate information for discussion at the WRP meeting in Salt Lake City. There was a question about how to set standards between the committees. We want to highlight issues that are specific to the west coast.
8. Updates on Projects
Rapid Response Plan - Several people commented that the Appendices need to be updated. Nate said he would make sure that the individuals are called one more time. If you have any information for the Appendices, contact Pat Akers: e-mail pakers@cdfa.ca.gov or phone (916) 262-2048. Nate reported that the Summary for the Rapid Response Plan would be available in two weeks.
Dwight - Manitoba continues to have student inspectors in the field and at the international border crossings. They have found it to be a good opportunity since people are already stopped. They speak to people who are towing boats and are getting information about the level of knowledge that people have. Some boaters are very knowledgeable depending on where they are from.
Tina will send a an e-mail message to the membership to get a list of people who need help in travel funds for the Salt Lake City WRP meeting. Also suggest that cost sharing will be an option. The Executive Committee will make decision on travel funds. Also, she will give topic suggestions for the meeting - and ask for more ideas.
Several people received an invitation to a Bureau of Reclamation Invasive Species Workshop at the end of July - Tina will let them know about the Western Regional Panel and how we fit into the picture.
John Chapman went to Panama and did sampling at both ends of the Panama Canal. They looked at a ship which had gone through the Panama Canal from North Africa. On the bottom of the ship were barnacles and polychaetes that came from somewhere far away. This is not ballast water but could have the same effect if any of the species are able to get established. Scott mentioned there is a hull-fouling meeting in San Diego, California in July 21-25, if anyone is interested. It would be good for someone from the WRP to attend. He will get information out to the committee this afternoon.
Other meetings:
International ANS meeting in Seattle in June, 2003.
Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team - conference on aquatic marine issues common to the strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, in Vancouver in April, 2003.
June 13, 2002
WRP Working Group
ANS Research Priorities