OCE-B.10.B - IAS Introduction Disclosure
Does the company disclose any introduction of IAS resulting from its own operations and value chain?
About the data
The WBA Ocean Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to halt and reverse nature loss in marine ecosystems, tracking how companies manage their impacts on ocean biodiversity, marine habitats, and the communities and workers dependent on healthy seas. The 2026 edition is WBA's first Ocean Benchmark, assessing 125 companies across key sectors dependent on oceans, including seafood, maritime transport, offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, port operations, apparel, and chemicals. Companies are assessed on 47 indicators across four measurement areas: governance, ecosystems and biodiversity, social responsibility, and core social indicators. The benchmark builds on WBA's Nature Benchmark and the former Seafood Stewardship Index, and its methodology was developed with input from more than 50 stakeholders including ocean communities, companies, scientists and civil society, with human rights and social impacts kept at its core alongside nature-specific concerns. More information can be found here.
Methodology
IAS include animals, plants and other organisms that humans accidentally or deliberately
introduce to areas outside their natural geographic range. IAS can have detrimental impacts on local
biodiversity. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES) Global Assessment Report (2019) has identified IAS as one of the five most significant direct
drivers of biodiversity loss. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD's) Post-2020 Global
Biodiversity Framework requires reducing the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive
species by at least 50%.
Invasive species can enter marine ecosystems through various pathways, such as ballast water,
biofouling, discharged wastewater, escaped fish, imported bait and navigational canals. Lacking
natural predators in their new environments, invasive species often spread and become abundant.
Their ecological consequences can permeate food chains as they carry diseases, outcompete or prey
on native species and alter food webs. These impacts influence ecosystem functioning and can also
have socioeconomic and health implications. Managing invasive species is, therefore, vital for
preserving biodiversity and human welfare (SDG 14.2).
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must:
Disclose any introduction of IAS.
OR
Has certification that covers this topic, such as wildlife management certification, which includes invasive species management.
OR
Its sustainability report describes a comprehensive monitoring process, including the scope, objectives, key elements, and how it is integrated into overall operations and value chain management. (This approach ensures that companies that are proactive in addressing the issue of IAS are not penalized for not having IAS introductions)
This element can be qualitative or quantitive using this metric (TNFD A4.0):
“Number/extent of unintentionally introduced species, varieties or strains in areas owned, operated, used or financed in priority areas (absolute, presence/absence and/or number removed)
Industry-specific metrics:
Shipping: Reduce the risk of introducing and propagating aquatic invasive species associated with ballast water discharges and biofouling. (Record of water inspections of vessels hulls; report on any incident with ballast water treatment, certificate, report on D1 & D2 standards [1]. The D-2 standard specifies the maximum number of viable organisms allowed to be discharged, including specified Indicator microbes harmful to human health. From the date of entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention, all ships must conform to at least the D-1 standard; and all new ships, to the D-2 standard.
Biofouling metrics: 1) Measure biofouling coverage on vessels by area and species.
Ports and Shipyards: continuous monitoring and reporting. Identify and count species in the port area. NIS Invasion Threat Score can also be used.[2]
Aquaculture[3]: prevention of escapes (number of non-indigenous escaped fish). Total number and percentage of escapes per species, including type of escape events (minor, major, catastrophic failure) by type of ecosystem affected (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) (including in cases of extreme weather). For each event organisations should report number of escaped individuals, percentage of escaped individuals of total stock at farm, type of escape event, type of ecosystem affected, type of species at risk, and reason for escape. (TNFD)
Offshore Wind: the change in invasive alien species from a baseline (%) in infrastructures.
Shipping& Ports: Ensure the species exported or imported are:
Not listed as invasive on the Global Invasive Species Database; and
Not listed as invasive in the import jurisdiction (TNFD -Draft sector guidance TNFD)
Example of compliance: The company discloses an instance where an IAS was introduced through one of their construction projects, acknowledging the issue and outlining remediation efforts.
introduce to areas outside their natural geographic range. IAS can have detrimental impacts on local
biodiversity. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES) Global Assessment Report (2019) has identified IAS as one of the five most significant direct
drivers of biodiversity loss. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD's) Post-2020 Global
Biodiversity Framework requires reducing the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive
species by at least 50%.
Invasive species can enter marine ecosystems through various pathways, such as ballast water,
biofouling, discharged wastewater, escaped fish, imported bait and navigational canals. Lacking
natural predators in their new environments, invasive species often spread and become abundant.
Their ecological consequences can permeate food chains as they carry diseases, outcompete or prey
on native species and alter food webs. These impacts influence ecosystem functioning and can also
have socioeconomic and health implications. Managing invasive species is, therefore, vital for
preserving biodiversity and human welfare (SDG 14.2).
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must:
Disclose any introduction of IAS.
OR
Has certification that covers this topic, such as wildlife management certification, which includes invasive species management.
OR
Its sustainability report describes a comprehensive monitoring process, including the scope, objectives, key elements, and how it is integrated into overall operations and value chain management. (This approach ensures that companies that are proactive in addressing the issue of IAS are not penalized for not having IAS introductions)
This element can be qualitative or quantitive using this metric (TNFD A4.0):
“Number/extent of unintentionally introduced species, varieties or strains in areas owned, operated, used or financed in priority areas (absolute, presence/absence and/or number removed)
Industry-specific metrics:
Shipping: Reduce the risk of introducing and propagating aquatic invasive species associated with ballast water discharges and biofouling. (Record of water inspections of vessels hulls; report on any incident with ballast water treatment, certificate, report on D1 & D2 standards [1]. The D-2 standard specifies the maximum number of viable organisms allowed to be discharged, including specified Indicator microbes harmful to human health. From the date of entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention, all ships must conform to at least the D-1 standard; and all new ships, to the D-2 standard.
Biofouling metrics: 1) Measure biofouling coverage on vessels by area and species.
Ports and Shipyards: continuous monitoring and reporting. Identify and count species in the port area. NIS Invasion Threat Score can also be used.[2]
Aquaculture[3]: prevention of escapes (number of non-indigenous escaped fish). Total number and percentage of escapes per species, including type of escape events (minor, major, catastrophic failure) by type of ecosystem affected (marine, freshwater, terrestrial) (including in cases of extreme weather). For each event organisations should report number of escaped individuals, percentage of escaped individuals of total stock at farm, type of escape event, type of ecosystem affected, type of species at risk, and reason for escape. (TNFD)
Offshore Wind: the change in invasive alien species from a baseline (%) in infrastructures.
Shipping& Ports: Ensure the species exported or imported are:
Not listed as invasive on the Global Invasive Species Database; and
Not listed as invasive in the import jurisdiction (TNFD -Draft sector guidance TNFD)
Example of compliance: The company discloses an instance where an IAS was introduced through one of their construction projects, acknowledging the issue and outlining remediation efforts.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report