By KELLY LOUISEIZE
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) pose a significant threat to Canada’s forest and plant life says Errol Caldwell, executive director for Science Enterprise Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie.
For instance, the detection of the Asian long-horned beetle in Toronto’s maple trees “is alarming,” he says. The insect poses a threat to the hardwood products and the maple syrup industry, which brought in $480 million and $130 million in 1997, respectively, according to a business case study that supports an Invasive Alien Species Management Centre in the Sault.
The beetle is just one of the species stressing Canadian forests. News reports of the western spruce budworm ravaging the British Columbia forest, or the brown spruce long-horn beetle infesting more than 6,000 trees in Halifax are indications the Canadian ecosystem is unprotected in the face of growing global trade, travel and tourism.
In a 2005 audit by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, it was stated the federal government lacks a coherent plan for protecting the ecosystems and the economy, a problem identified in two previous audits.
In response to the recent audit, government bodies and related agencies are now working to develop a comprehensive report on the IAS issue, authors Greenley and Associates say in the business case report.
Historical losses in Canada from IAS are estimated to be $7.5 billion annually. Those are the ones experts catch. Within the next five years the range will go from $13.3 billion to $34.5 billion worst case.
These numbers do not quantify the damage caused by altering an entire ecosystem, the authors write.
The federal commitment to spend an additional $85 million over the next five years to deal with IAS threats falls short of spending in Australia and New Zealand, Mexico and United States on an annual basis.
Alien species are growing in volume here as Canada takes on a more globalized position. It is no match for the existing and overextended capacities within existing public or private organizations, the document states.
In order to meet the increasing demand for improved IAS management, the Sault Ste. Marie scientific research community has proposed a national IAS centre. It would centre on prevention, early detection, rapid response and management control being the four key components.
An advisory committee consisting of resource officials and community stakeholders including Caldwell will be pitching the idea to the federal government within the next month in hopes of obtaining funding. The centre would be jointly funded by federal and provincial agencies.
Science Enterprise Algoma, the organization championing the IAS centre, has received letters of support from nine federal and provincial ministers.
“The letters are encouraging although you never really know what the answer is going to be until you ask someone for money,” Caldwell says.
The project is a communal effort to increase the science capacity in the city.
The 11,500-square-foot facility would act much the same as an emergency preparedness model. Support space for training, quarantine, research labs, a boardroom, a classroom, a meeting area and a secure IT space is in the plan.
The project would take approximately five years to complete and would employ 50 people bringing approximately $3.8 million in salaries and benefits to the community. The city is looking for support from FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. to fund a consultant who would develop a full charter exploring mandates, missions and protocols.
“We are waiting until we get feedback from federal colleagues ... before we confirm that step,” Caldwell says.
Sault Ste. Marie has the largest cluster of IAS management experts of any single city in Canada.
Geographically, the centre will be located on prime property in the new science park where the new Fisheries and Oceans Canada research facility is. That building is located next to the Great Lake Forest Centre and the Ontario Forest Research Institute.
The project cost ranges from $5 million to $15 million depending on where the facility will be located within the park.
Each facility plays a significant role in IAS management. For example it was technicians from Canadian Forest Service (CFS) and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) who first detected the Emerald Ashe Borer (EAB) in Windsor in 2002. Personnel from the same agencies continue to work in Essex County and Toronto to control the EAB invasion, while collaborating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to improve prevention, detection and control methods for invasive species.
Research is ongoing as experts explore natural control agents including parasites and predators to curb the beetle population. In the Sault, private and public companies are working in an increasingly integrated manner to develop IAS management strategies. BioForest is now working with the Great Lakes Forestry Centre on an injectable insecticide to be used on trees.
These synergies will only strengthen the Sault’s forest expertise making it more attractive for new researchers to come on board, Caldwell says.
