Ecological Risk Screening: A New Tool to Manage Risk of Imported, Nonnative Fishes

Invasive species cause harm to ecosystems, and the economic and social constructs and systems they support.  Preventing invasions is the most effective and efficient risk management approach.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a number of tools that support regulatory and non-regulatory risk management decision making.  One such tool is called Ecological Risk Screening.  That tool is being used to support rulemaking and voluntary actions designed to protect the biosecurity of the United States.  The tool can also be used for risk management decision support at scales from international to local.  The Ecological Risk Screening Process will be described, and products developed using that approach will be summarized.  The Fish and Wildlife Service has used the Ecological Risk Screening Process to transition from a reactive to proactive approach in managing risk of nonnative and invasive species.