ALIEN INVASIVE SPECIES - JAPAN AND IUCN JOIN FORCES
December 12, 2003
The Honourable Hiroyuki Tani, a member of the Japanese Diet (Parliament), visited IUCN HQ on 11 December to discuss some of the activities that the Japanese Government is undertaking concerning the problem of alien invasive species in Japan. Mr Hiroyuki's responsibilities include leading the development of legislation on invasive species issues in Japan. Increasingly, global trade is contributing to the mixing of faunas and floras across biogeographic boundaries. While it is difficult to predict which species will become invasive when introduced to new environments, IUCN has produced "Guidelines for the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss caused by Alien Invasive Species" to help countries take informed decisions. IUCN's Chief Scientist, Jeff McNeely summarized some of the IUCN's recent work on the issue.