Aquatic Invasive Species Decontamination
Scope:
This standard, anticipated to provide practitioners the requirements for watercraft invasive species decontamination, including:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Ensure all personnel wear appropriate PPE, including gloves, masks, and protective clothing.
- Decontamination Solutions: Use effective heat, disinfectants and cleaning agents, or specialized marine decontaminants and equipment.
- Waste Management: Implement proper procedures for handling and disposing of hazardous waste generated during decontamination.
- Cleaning Protocols: Establish detailed cleaning protocols for different areas of the vessel, including decks, tanks, and equipment.
- Training: Provide training for crew members on decontamination procedures and the use of PPE.
- Monitoring and Testing: Regularly monitor and test surfaces for contaminants to ensure effective decontamination.
- Documentation: Maintain records of decontamination activities, including methods used and any incidents.
- End User: highlighting suitable methods for private individuals vs regulatory agencies with decontamination programs
Project need:
The standard would address the following needs:
- enable jurisdictions across Canada to implement consistent decontamination standards to address the stowaway pathway nationally
- improve interjurisdictional confidence in decontamination methods, and
lessen public confusion regarding the applicable measures to reduce AIS spread
Context
Currently, some jurisdictions are without any decontamination standards or programs to speak of while other jurisdictions have identified a need for standards that can be incorporated by reference into applicable legislation. It is believed that the development of National Standards of Canada in this regard, integrated with legislation and regulation, will lead to a reduction of risk related to biological invasion of invasive species.
Strategic Need
This proposed New Standard is being developed at the request of government stakeholders. It will provide the industry with requirements and guidance for the decontamination of watercraft for invasive species.
The development of national standards for decontamination of aquatic vessels is intended to address the lack of consistency in decontamination protocols across Canada. Given growing pressures of aquatic invasive species (AIS) threats and growing fiscal restraint and required efficiencies, added pressure for jurisdictions to implement effective inspection and decontamination processes is expected. National standards can be a vital contribution in easing these pressures through building symmetry and efficiencies among jurisdictions.
On November 29, 2022, the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) agreed that increasing efforts and collaboration on AIS is a priority. They agreed to work toward standard decontamination protocols that respect jurisdictions and respond to local needs. In doing so, they tasked the NAISC to develop national minimum decontamination standards.
Note: The information provided above was obtained by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and is provided as part of a centralized, transparent notification system for new standards development. The system allows SCC-accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), and members of the public, to be informed of new work in Canadian standards development, and allows SCC-accredited SDOs to identify and resolve potential duplication of standards and effort.
Individual SDOs are responsible for the content and accuracy of the information presented here. The text is presented in the language in which it was provided to SCC.