An international bio-discovery committee has enlisted the expertise
of Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) biotechnologist Libby
Evans-Illidge to help shape world first guidelines on bio-prospecting.
For the past three decades the quest for new drugs and other
products derived from the marine environment has been impeded by a
lack of workable regulations governing access to resources and benefit
sharing.
AIMS is the world acclaimed leader in facilitating and
participating in bio-discovery research in a way that ensures
conservation of the resource, equitable benefit sharing, and maximum
benefit to the country of origin.
International authorities are looking to learn from the Australian
experience and have invited Libby Evans-Illidge, the only Australian,
to join the "Access and Benefit Sharing Management Tool Advisory
Committee" which will convene its first face-to-face talks in
Montreal later this week.
Australia holds a unique position being the only country that is
both "mega-biodiverse" and developed, with advanced
scientific infrastructure and a vibrant bio-technology industry.
Most of the other ‘mega-biodiverse’ nations are poor third
world countries concerned that companies from wealthy developed
countries will exploit their raw materials and traditional knowledge
without adequate returns. It’s behaviour the industry has dubbed
"bio-piracy", said Ms Evans-Illidge.
"Governments of these developing nations have an enormous fear
that the lack of regulatory framework leaves them vulnerable to
bio-piracy."
"The Montreal committee meeting hopes to establish a standard
for companies to adhere to that upholds the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD). Such a tool will help developing countries weed out
bio-pirates and quickly identify those following the terms of the CBD.
The Montreal project is an initiative of the Swiss Government aimed
at implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity.
AIMS has established landmark agreements with industry and
governments on access to bio-diversity and benefit sharing, and has
provided major input into State and Federal Government policy and
legislation.
In her address to the meeting Libby Evans-Illidge will explain how
the institute has juggled the nexus between public interest and
commercial realities.
"I will emphasise the need for industry partners to invest in
capacity for research and development in countries of origin, and to
secure marine samples and collections in a custodian arrangement, as
AIMS has done," she said.
Libby Evans-Illidge will also be part of an Australian delegation
attending a United Nations working group on biological diversity to be
held in Montreal.
