Commissioners delay consideration of new FWC invasive species rule

An attempt to get some control over people bringing invasive species into Florida ran into a couple issues, among them being complications from aquaculture operations and the appointment of a new Executive Director for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

The process for creating a rule banning importation of certain species began when FWC Chair Rodney Barreto looked into the state’s efforts and found there was no baseline of species to prevent entry in order to stop problems before they begin. 

“As policymakers up here, our concern is we just don’t want another python, another tegu lizard, we don’t want another iguana,” Barreto said at the FWC’s meetings this week in Miami. “The green iguana, heck, there are more iguanas than there are people in Miami-Dade County now, I believe that.”

Agency staff, with input from the Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Technical Assistance Group (TAG), developed two options for the Commission to pursue. One, the preferred option, restricts the import of any new undocumented species not already in commerce in the state. The second option restricts all species not previously evaluated on risk to the state’s environment.

“In each option, authorizations to import would not be issued until the FWC determines the species poses an acceptable level of risk to Florida,” according to a memo to Commissioners from Melissa Tucker, FWC Director of Habitat and Species Conservation.

“The proposed rules include a risk determination process that outlines the request process, initial screening, public engagement and comment, peer review and timeframes. Requests to evaluate a species or group of species would require submittal of a bioprofile, species evaluation and literature review.”

Either way, bringing in new species is a significant issue for people involved in the aquaculture industry. Stakeholders identified more than 20,000 species possibly involved in Florida commerce, with most involved in aquaculture or the aquarium trade.

Class III nonnative species are presently allowed into the state as pets, to possess and breed for commercial sale, and to possess for exhibition or research. Agency staff note thousands of species have yet to be assessed for their risks and most of them fall into this Class III category for marine life.

The concern from these industries is an inability to import new species, which could impact those businesses’ competitiveness domestically and abroad.

“I was a member of the TAG and still a member of the TAG, but our members are a little confused on why we didn’t bring (the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) to the table, for aquaculture,” said Geno Evans, President of the Florida Aquaculture Association.

“Aquaculture is governed under state Statute 597, and in that we have a set of best management practices that go over all this … and I brought this up during TAG meetings and couldn’t get an answer out of staff (on) why wasn’t FDACS up here?”

Nothing is going forward at the moment, though. Barreto said he wanted to wait until new Executive Director Roger Young was comfortable in his new position and fully informed on the topic. 

“Let him get his thoughts, his team together, get his hand around the issue, bring it back to us for an update at the next meeting,” Barreto said. 

Other Commissioners agreed the issue needed more time for consideration and more work from staff before the Commission is ready to vote on a specific proposal.

“Our fear, honestly, is the bad actors, right?” Commissioner Steven Hudson said to the public gathered at the meeting.

“They’re not here. How can you help us identify those bad actors? If it sounds like squealing on your friend, perhaps, but it’s those bad actors that require us to take action. No, we don’t want it to be draconian, but action does need to be taken.”

He added the agency has no intention of trying to put people out of business, but needs help in making sure people are going about dealing with nonnative creatures the right way.