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biosecurity (L: bios=life; se-=apart/ without ; cura=care; securus=carefree/ untroubled; securitas= freedom from anxiety/ feeling of security) the safety and safeguarding of endemic life. The protection of native wildlife.

• livestock diseases: livestock diseases like foot-and-mouth, BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis, mad-cow disease), tuberculosis and others can have far-reaching consequences to countries which are still without:
• human health: disease can threaten human health.
• economic loss: once a disease takes hold, expensive measures must be taken to contain and eradicate it.
• economic advantage: countries without animal diseases have an enormous economic advantage because their meats and animal products can be exported freely to all other nations.
• invasive plant species (pest plants): some introduced species are invasive, competing successfully with native species and displacing them. Many decorative plants, once thought harmless, have escaped from gardens and have become invasive species. They are changing the natural balance profoundly, affecting all other species.
• invasive animal species (pest animals): exotic animal species are introduced for the thrill of hunting, for pets and for zoos. Some have become highly invasive, such as deer, possum and rabbit. Many bird species have become invasive too.
• plant pests: plant diseases like fungi and various forms of rot, as well as harmful insects, have major economic effects on the cultivation of crops. Where previously the use of pesticides was not necessary, they have become indispensable, resulting in environmental damage and loss of economic advantage.
• animal pests: predators like dogs, cats, stoats and rats have been introduced, causing mayhem to native wildlife which evolved without these. In New Zealand, many birds are flightless and they are easy prey for exotic predators.

Biosecurity can involve the following activities:

• guarding the borders: inspecting goods from overseas with sniffer dogs. Tracking suspected shipments. Quarantine facilities for legally imported species and varieties, stock and pets.
• operating overseas: working with overseas product suppliers to prevent accidents. Pest control enforcement in countries who supply to us. Learning about pests in their natural environments. Learning about their natural enemies.
• monitoring pests: early detection of introduced diseases or pests, can lead to successful eradication. Monitoring the spread of pests to other nations can help being prepared.
• emergency operations: large-scale response to the earliest warnings, by containing the pest and by eradicating infected animals or plants. Integrated Pest Control uses all methods at the same time, such as chemical sprays, and biological control methods.
• fighting domestic diseases: animal diseases and plant pests which have established themselves are controlled by establishing quarantine areas and by preventing agricultural products to leave such areas. Flocks and farmers can be certified. Gradually, over time, a disease can be controlled or eradicated altogether. A disease-free country is able to export goods more freely to other disease-free countries.
• controlling wildlife damage: preventing inappropriate human activity (pest-activity). Preventing livestock from natural places.
• protecting endangered species: checking for the exportation and importation of threatened species at borders.
• enhancing animal care: enhancing the care of domestic stock and pets to prevent diseases, which could spread to livestock or wildlife.
• safety from biotechnology: being involved with the testing of genetically altered species, in order to ascertain their safety to humans and the environment.
• investigation and enforcement: having teams of experts able to investigate situations and having the laws to enforce compliance where needed.
• education: making sure people know what is expected and how they can co-operate. The help of many is needed to make biosecurity successful.

• freedom of movement: people travel to and from any destination, bringing with them the risk of unwelcome hitchhikers. Air planes have made travelling fast, enhancing the survival of pests.
• increased traffic: the number of passengers transported has been increasing very rapidly over the past 50 years, and so does the risk for pests.
• free trade: barriers to trade have been removed, resulting in a proliferation of importers taking new opportunities. The lust for profit endangers the health of nations.
• fossil energy: lavish use of energy has warmed cities such that pests, which would otherwise have been eradicated by winter, can survive.
• global warming: global changes in climate will enable exotic species to establish themselves in new places.

f970534: the Australian possum, under threat in its native country, has been introduced into New Zealand, where it has become an invasive pest, spreading disease (tuberculosis), killing native trees and eating the eggs of native birds. They are attracted to the warmth of the tar-seal by night, where they get killed by traffic.

f981617: The control of invasive species has become an on-going effort, but it is not quite sure who is winning. Eradicating one predator (stoat), leads to an increase in another (rats), or forcing it to predate on other species. Prevention cannot be stressed enough!

• CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) the classical approach is to put endangered species on the endangered species list, administered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). CITES is an international agreement, which is effective by banning international trade in the listed species or their products (tiger hides, ivory, coral, shells, whale meat, rhinocerus horn, etc.). www.cites.org. It has been very successful.
• Red Data Books: every country has a red data book listing the threatened species and classifying them according to criticality. It serves to make politicians aware that resources are needed to take action.
• economic incentives and disincentives: fines and subsidies can change human behaviour, because much of what they do is motivated by economic reasons (making a living, making money). Subsidies are given for not doing harmful things, like building on coastal land, for not overharvesting, for not cultivating certain lands, etc. Fines work for doing harmful things, like all kinds of pollution and discharges.
• 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro produced the Convention on Biological Diversity (see www.biodiv.org) While past conservation efforts were aimed at protecting particular species and habitats, the Convention recognises that ecosystems, species and genes must be used for the benefit of humans. However, this should be done in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity. The Convention aims to achieve:
• The conservation of biodiversity:
• Sustainable use of the components of biodiversity:
• Sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way:
In particular, it recommends the following actions:
• Identifying and monitoring the important components of biological diversity that need to be conserved and used sustainably.
• Establishing protected areas to conserve biological diversity while promoting environmentally sound development around these areas.
• Rehabilitating and restoring degraded ecosystems and promoting the recovery of threatened species in collaboration with local residents.
• Respecting, preserving and maintaining traditional knowledge of the sustainable use of biological diversity with the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Preventing the introduction of, controlling, and eradicating alien species that could threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.
• Controlling the risks posed by organisms modified by biotechnology.
• Promoting public participation, particularly when it comes to assessing the environmental impacts of development projects that threaten biological diversity.
• Educating people and raising awareness about the importance of biological diversity and the need to conserve it.
• Reporting on how each country is meeting its biodiversity goals.
After ten years of operation, it defines the road forward as:
• Meeting the increasing demand for biological resources caused by population growth and increased consumption, while considering the long-term consequences of our actions.
• Increasing our capacity to document and understand biodiversity, its value, and threats to it.
• Building adequate expertise and experience in biodiversity planning.
• Improving policies, legislation, guidelines, and fiscal measures for regulating the use of biodiversity.
• Adopting incentives to promote more sustainable forms of biodiversity use.
• Promoting trade rules and practices that foster sustainable use of biodiversity.
• Strengthening coordination within governments, and between governments and stakeholders.
• Securing adequate financial resources for conservation and sustainable use, from both national and international sources.
• Making better use of technology.
• Building political support for the changes necessary to ensure biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
• Improving education and public awareness about the value of biodiversity.

In the article on conservation, we'll discuss the many methods of saving wildlife and their habitats. At this point, however, we would like to comment that human-induced extinctions (reductions in biodiversity) are real and as large as expected from the amount of habitat destroyed or changed. This is likely to continue, as will be the spread of alien species and human use of the biosphere. Between 1950 and 2000, human population doubled and the world economy grew five-fold. These actions are not compatible with conservation and the protection of biodiversity. Our efforts to save biodiversity are thus destined to remain token gestures and feel-good decisions, characterised by doing too little too late, while being unable to address the real causes.

f971031: marine tropical reef species such as these starfish and shells, are traded for collectors. But in order to satisfy demand, and for the best quality, these animals are caught alive. It does not take long before the reef's supply is exhausted, and its natural balance upset.

f003900: a female seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) attached to a seaweed (Carpophyllum flexuosum) in a sheltered harbour of New Zealand. These fragile animals are hunted with fervour for use in Traditional Eastern Medicine. Simply because some people falsely believe in the medicinal properties of  these cute animals, they may become extinct.

McNeely, J A (1988): Economics and biodiversity. IUCN, Gland Switzerland.