Cleveland,
OH, January 31, 2001
Good afternoon, I would like
to thank the coordinators
of the US Coast Guard’s
Marine Day for extending me
the invitation to speak.
Let me begin by briefly describing
Great Lakes United. GLU is
a binational coalition whose
membership consists of about
170 organizations from the
US, Canada and First Nations
including environmental and
conservation groups, sport
groups, labor unions, academic
groups, businesses, tribes
and municipalities. Our mission
is to protect and restore
the Great Lakes/St Lawrence
River ecosystem. Our diverse
membership develops the coalition’s
policy and agenda through
consensus.
As a representative of the
Great Lakes environmental
community, I would like to
describe how exotic species
impact the ecosystem, the
ongoing work to prevent exotic
introductions via ballast
water and our visions of what
needs to be done to accomplish
this goal.
Despite the improvement in
the cleanliness of the Great
Lakes over the last 20 years,
the Great Lakes freshwater
ecosystem continues to struggle.
The Great Lakes have been
invaded by 160 known exotic
species at this time, about
1/3 of these being introduced
via ballast water. So, ballast
water is a portion, but a
very significant portion of
the problem. Many of these
introductions have led to
extensive ecological changes
in the Lakes. We have high
rates of extinction, loss
of biodiversity and subsequent
repercussions on communities
around the Great Lakes. This
significantly elevated the
loss of biodiversity.
Fish biodiversity supports
a commercial and sport fishery
valued at over $1 billion.
Maintaining the stability
and functioning of a diverse
ecosystem of which we are
a part and upon which we rely
Currently, the Great Lakes
ecosystem is unstable, being
artificially supported by
large amounts of energy input
in the form of fisheries management.
This is necessary because
of the drastic modifications
the invasion of the sea lamprey
(via canals) and other subsequent
invaders had on the stability
of the Great Lakes fish communities.
If we are going to move towards
a Great Lakes ecosystem that
does not require constant
input of millions of fish
and hundreds of millions of
dollars a year, we need to
address the influx of exotic
species invasions, while also
modifying our fisheries management
practices.
So, one of the largest challenges
in stopping exotic invasions
is addressing ballast water
as a vector. Ballast water
regulations and guidelines
have improved since 1989,
when they were initiated.
While they have seemed (we
lack the empirical data) to
slow the invasion rate; they
are not enough. Species that
originated from foreign parts
continue to be discovered
in the Lakes.
We need to develop the techniques
and technology necessary to
stop the flow of exotics.
Much work has been done here
in our region and all over
the world investigating the
uses of filters, hydrocyclones,
UV radiation, ozone and biocides.
However, we are not at the
point yet in the research
where any new technology can
be efficiently, effectively
and safely used.
Before we go any further,
let me state that the use
of biocides to sterilize ballast
water is not the long-term
solution to this problem.
Biocides are extremely risky
to the environment and to
the individuals who have to
handle them. Additionally,
we do not yet know how to
use biocides effectively sterilize
ballast water from the wide
sediment and species importation,
age tank structure, and maintenance.
I’m not going to get
into the biocide issue, but
I would like to mention the
two most popular ideas for
biocide usage, Cl- and Gluteraldehyde.
As far as gluteraldehyde goes,
research is being done on
its effectiveness. However,
I have heard no discussion
yet of the multi-inorganic,
sensitizing or synergistic
properties and associated
human health risks, which
all need serious attention.
Biocides aside, there is a
large step missing in the
work to develop ballast water
treatments and technologies.
We are not going to progress
to the point where we can
implement ballast water treatments
and technologies until we
set a standard. This is crucial.
For all of the work being
done on different methods
of treatment, a bar or common
goal is yet to be set by which
effectiveness, efficiency,
safety and environmental soundness
can be measured. Given the
magnitude of this problem,
work to develop and set a
standard should happen immediately.
This recommendation that I
mention on behalf of GLU is
also the primary recommendation
that the Great Lakes Panel
on Aquatic nuisance species
will be releasing shortly
in their “Policy Statement
on Ballast Water Management.”
GLU along with binational
representatives from the shipping
industry, government, academia,
businesses and others comprise
this panel and are working
together to find common solutions
to achieve a single goal:
to prevent ANS/exotic introductions
via ballast water.
Activities that GLU plans
in the upcoming year to work
towards this goal include
being involved in the reauthorization
of the National Invasive Species
Act. We plan on advocating
a fast-track timeline for
setting of standards, significant
increases in funding to accelerate
research on ballast water
treatment, supporting the
research by NOAA and others
to evaluate how effective
ballast water management is
and what exactly is in the
ballast water tanks, implement
full scale onboard tests of
developing effective efficient
and enviro-friendly technologies,
new shop designs needed to
accommodate this new technology,
and increased monitoring.
In closing, I would like to
say that all of us here know
the value of the Great Lakes,
both economically and environmentally.
The binational community should
set the example for the rest
of the world for dealing with
exotic species introductions
via ballast water and through
partnering together to address
such a critical and complex
issue.
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