New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) A total of 154 species of faunal communities - 56 species from terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and 98 species of marine ecosystems - have been recorded from India as exotic/invasive species, the Parliament was told on Thursday.The government maintains and updates a database of invasive alien species, with the Zoological Survey of India handling this responsibility, Minister of State, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, told the Rajya Sabha in response to a question."The action plan of the government to prevent the reproduction and proliferation of invasive species includes strengthening of quarantine facilities at airport and seaport, strict compliance of IMO (International Maritime Organisation) norms for ballast water disposal, evaluation on the impact assessment on the exotic species," he said. The efforts also include regulation of the introduction of exotic species for commercial ventures, assessment of the growth rate, reproduction success, dispersal ability and tolerance during climatic stress of exotic species, status surveys on introduced/exotic/invasive species, he added."No licenses are issued for cultivation of invasive alien species and no such information is collated in this Ministry," Choubey said.
--IANS niv/vd
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