Effectiveness of the International Phytosanitary Standard ISPM No. 15 on reducing wood borer infestation rates in wood packaging material entering the United States.
Numerous bark- and wood-infesting insects have been introduced to new countries by international trade where some have caused severe environmental and economic damage. Wood packaging material (WPM), such as pallets, is one of the high risk pathways for the introduction of wood pests. International recognition of this risk resulted in adoption of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM15) in 2002, which provides treatment standards for WPM used in international trade. ISPM15 was originally developed by members of the International Plant Protection Convention to "practically eliminate" the risk of international transport of most bark and wood pests via WPM. The United States (US) implemented ISPM15 in three phases during 2005-2006. We compared pest interception rates of WPM inspected at US ports before and after US implementation of ISPM15 using the US Department of Agriculture AQIM (Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Monitoring) database. Analyses of records from 2003-2009 indicated that WPM infestation rates declined 36-52% following ISPM15 implementation, with results varying in statistical significance depending on the selected starting parameters. Power analyses of the AQIM data indicated there was at least a 95% chance of detecting a statistically significant reduction in infestation rates if they dropped by 90% post-ISPM15, but the probability fell as the impact of ISPM15 lessened. We discuss several factors that could have reduced the apparent impact of ISPM15 on lowering WPM infestation levels, and suggest ways that ISPM15 could be improved. The paucity of international interception data impeded our ability to conduct more thorough analyses of the impact of ISPM15, and demonstrates the need for well-planned sampling programs before and after implementation of major phytosanitary policies so that their effectiveness can be assessed. We also present summary data for bark- and wood-boring insects intercepted on WPM at US ports during 1984-2008.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
Robert A
RA
Haack
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Research and Development, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America.
Kerry O
KO
Britton
Scion (NZ Forest Research Institute), Christchurch, New Zealand; Better Border Biosecurity, New Zealand.
Eckehard G
EG
Brockerhoff
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Plant Health Programs, National Identification Services, Riverdale, Maryland, United States of America.
Joseph F
JF
Cavey
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.
Lynn J
LJ
Garrett
Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), Rotorua, New Zealand.
Mark
M
Kimberley
New England Forestry Foundation, Littleton, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Frank
F
Lowenstein
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Amelia
A
Nuding
University of Maryland, Agricultural and Resource Economics, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
Lars J
LJ
Olson
AgResearch Ltd., Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.
James
J
Turner
Earth Institute and International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
Kathryn N
KN
Vasilaky
D000818:Animals; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007300:Insect Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007313:Insecta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019064:Product Packaging; D011790:Quarantine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture; D014934:Wood / Q000469:parasitology*
D004202:Disinfectants