First application in Turkey of the European Non‐native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme to evaluate the farmed non‐native fish, striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Abstract

The European Non‐native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS) was used to assess one of the most popular aquaculture species in the world, the striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878), in two locations of southern Anatolia (Turkey). The overall mean risk score generated for P. hypophthalmus by the ENSARS Organism module (which assesses the risks of introduction, establishment, dispersal and impact) indicated that the species poses a medium risk under current climatic conditions. All other ENSARS modules rendered scores that indicated a moderately low risk under current climatic conditions. However, the risks of introducing novel diseases and the actual use (e.g. deliberate introduction to the natural habitats or food market) of the species both attracted scores indicating a medium risk. Confidence levels were medium or high for all modules except the Socio‐economic, with low confidence values also attributed to the risks for farming process of the organism, and its overall risk of spread into the wild during farming procedures and to marketing impacts. Recommendations are provided for further use of the ENSARS scheme, especially for a a priori assessment of potential aquaculture species in Turkey, where the sector has been remarkably developing in the last decades.

Mapping the Establishment and Invasiveness Potential of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Turkey: With Special Emphasis on the Conservation of Native Salmonids

“…Fish escapes from farms can be both detrimental to the natural species and can also reduce income of fish farms. For this aim, we highly anticipate receiving the benefit of aquaculture-specific and post-screening risk analysis tools such as European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS) (Copp et al, 2016b;Tarkan et al, 2020), by also implementing the information on farm intensity (number of fish farms per unit area) and farm capacity. Fish escape should also be taken seriously especially for the hotspots we proposed, and related measures should be amended to prevent or minimize it.…”

Burgeoning non-native species production hinders sustainable aquaculture

“…Recommendations and guidelines for risk analysis and contingency measures for mitigation aquaculture escapees have been conducted in the past 14 , with firmer biosecurity protocols and assessments being crucial to prevent establishment 15 . For instance, promising protocols, such as the European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS), have been successfully implemented for proposed introduction of non-native aquatic species to new areas for aquaculture purposes by assessing the risks of escape and species' life-history traits 14,51 . They are particularly vital in developing countries, where such risks of escapes may be more pronounced and conservation policies are often lacking 52 .…”

Changing climate may mitigate the invasiveness risk of non-native salmonids in the Danube and Adriatic basins of the Balkan Peninsula (south-eastern Europe)

“…Overall, it is advised that non-native species introductions should be brought to a minimum or avoided altogether and that every introduction of a new species should be conducted only after a full risk assessment (e.g. Tarkan et al 2020Tarkan et al , 2022, because any new fish species in aquaculture carries a risk of escape (De Silva 2012). However, in countries that are not part of the EU (e.g.…”