k. Managing Nagoya protocol compliance in Kotka
Page in Finnish: Nagoyan protokollan vaatimusten hallinta Kotkassa
Kotka has a few features to support and help Nagoya protocol (NP) compliance in collection management. Most of this is handled via transactions, something through tags and something in specimen information. Below are brief descriptions about these features, links to further information and a presentation about the workflow (presented at Biodiversity_next conference in October 2019).
The CETAF Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Access and Benefit Sharing was used as guidance in developing the ABS features in Kotka. According to the document, institutions should:
- Keep records on:
- Acquisition
- Utilisation
- Benefits derived
- Supply to Third Parties
- Deaccessioning, disposal and loss of material
- Retain records
- Provide and transfer information
To accomplish this, existing Kotka features were developed and are going to be developed even further later on.
Transactions
Transactions are used to keep records on the acquisition of genetic resources and supply to third parties. The Finnish Genetic resources legislation requires an import notice (maahantuonti-ilmoitus) on any genetic resources that are imported to Finland and fall within the scope of NP. Kotka transaction permit section has mainly been developed to support this need from this perspective, but also supports other purposes. More information about Nagoya protocol management in transactions: Transactions/Lainanhallinta and Nagoya protocol in transactions
Finnish competent national authority SYKE developed their own system for making import notices. The system (Genetic resource registry) does not unfortunately discuss with Kotka, and a user has to enter the information both to Kotka and the registry separately.
Tags
Tags are used mainly to keep records on utilisation and derived benefits. See TagsTagit for more information.
Specimen information
Information on acquisition (country, organisation, dates) are part of the specimen details. Records on deaccessioning, disposal and loss of specimens are kept in specimen information (specimen status). Tracking or monitoring of consumptive use of samples is to be developed later.
Future development plans
- Fine tuning the current version, user feedback
- Transferring documentation, outgoing transactions
- Consumptive loans of DNA extracts
- Searches (specimen & transaction)
- Long term storage system for retaining the records