Science advice for screening-level risk assessment protocols for nonindigenous freshwater organisms in trade in Canada : Avis scientifique sur les protocoles d'évaluation préalable des risques relatifs aux organismes non indigènes d'eau douce apparaissant dans le commerce au Canada

"Aquatic invasive species (AIS) threaten global biodiversity and are the second leading cause for the decline of Canadian freshwater species at risk. The establishment of AIS can reduce the abundance or productivity of sport, commercial, or culturally important species and can cause habitat alteration. Therefore, preventing the arrival, establishment, and spread of AIS is an important step to protecting aquatic environments. ... AIS are introduced into Canadian fresh waters through various vectors and pathways, some of which are associated with the live trade pathway. An increasingly large number of aquatic plants, molluscs and fishes are imported into North America every year for sale in the aquarium and garden trades. These trades pose a potential risk of introducing into, and/or spreading non-indigenous species within, Canadian freshwater ecosystems through accidental or deliberate unauthorized release"--