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Photos and RealAudio
for 22 June
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| Working Group I |
Harold Mooney, on behalf
of the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), opened the discussion
with a presentation on the GISP's activities. He discussed the situation
in the Galapagos Islands to illustrate ecological problems and control
costs of invasive species and stressed the importance of capacity-building.
Delegates then considered the Executive Secretary's paper on developing
principles for the prevention of impacts of alien species and further
development of the GISP (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/4/8).
 RealAudio
excerpts from Dr. Mooney's presentation |
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FRANCE supported using the precautionary
principle on the issue of transboundary control. |
| NEW ZEALAND recommended
asking the GISP to develop principles for COP-5's consideration. |
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Christian Samper, Chair-elect of SBSTTA-5,
on behalf of Colombia, spoke on the development of a database on alien
species control and prevention startegies and its inclusion in the
CBD's Clearing House Mechanism.
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| IUCN drew attention to
its guidelines for reducing biological loss due to the invasion of
alien species, which will be finalized next year. |
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| Working Group II |
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Dr. Richard Jefferson ,
Chair of the Center for the Application of
Molecular Biology to International Agriculture (CAMBIA), gave a presentation on the
genetic use of restriction technologies (GURTs), including both
variety-level V-GURTs and trait-specific T-GURTs. He suggested that
commercially viable V-GURTs could have some merit in decreasing
the frequency of transgene spreading, but outstanding issues remain,
such as: toxicity of inducing compounds and cellular toxins; environmental
spreading of V-GURT traits; and patents as a means of control of
V-GURTs. He noted that GURT technology will not be commercially
available for 5 years.
Complete RealAudio of Dr. Jefferson's presentation:
Part one:
Explanation of the molecular biology of GURT
Part two:
Use and timeline of GURTs, patent and intellectual property
issues, impacts on biodiversity, scientific uncertainty
Part three:
Questions and answers on the impacts on ecosystems of GURTs
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| Acting Executive Secretary's
Reception |
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Hamdallah Zedan, Acting Executive Secretary
of CBD, hosted a cocktail reception for SBSTTA participants. |
| Zedan is pictured here
with John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda, left) and Philemon Yang (Cameroon,
right) |
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