Please
find below highlights from
Great Lakes United’s
statement at the Water Quality
Board’s Biological Pollution
Priority Meeting:
Ann Arbor, Michigan,
June 19, 2000
The invasion of the basin
by exotic invasive species
is causing massive ecosystem
modification, from species
extirpations to tropic restructuring
to the loss of biodiversity,
and affects every type of
ecosystem, from forests to
wetlands to our freshwater
lakes.
In the past 25 years, exotic
invasive species has risen
from the 6th to the 2nd threat
to biodiversity, second only
to habitat destruction.
This grave environmental problem
needs immediate attention,
but no community grassroots
organization has the capability
to address this problem on
the only scale needed for
effectiveness, that being
the international scale.
As an indicator of Great Lakes
United’s serious concern
on exotic invasive species,
our binational coalition membership
unanimously passed a resolution
on ballast water discharge
in 1999. The resolution is
included with this statement.
Great Lakes United believes
that immediate attention to
set and implement standards
is the first necessary step
in protecting the biological
integrity of the Great Lakes
from exotic invasive species.
Until standards are set and
implemented on all ships entering
the lakes, Great Lakes United
recognizes that we can use
tools already at our disposal
to control invasions.
Therefore, we strongly urge
the following:
1. Research into fitting and
retrofitting ships with new
technologies. We are following
the promising results of filtration
combined with UV radiation
as a method of meeting standards
on both new and retrofitted
ships.
2. The implementation of
best ship management techniques
for the purpose of reducing
invasions. Such techniques
could drastically reduce the
volume of foreign material
entering the Great Lakes in
the form of NOBOB sludge.
3. Consideration of alternative
non-chemical control methods.
We are concerned that the
use of biocides will be considered
an option before non-chemical
methods. There exist alternatives
to chemical control that can
be immediately implemented,
or are currently being developed,
as mechanisms for ballast
water regulation and exotic
species control.
Great Lakes United believes
that the control of biological
pollution should not undermine
the ongoing work being done
to control chemical pollution
in the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes United strongly
recommends that this issue
be addressed in a way that
takes an ecosystem approach
and that ballast water control
mechanisms remain consistent
with the objectives of federal
and international policy.
Great Lakes United is very
encouraged that stakeholders
involved in this meeting are
focused on a common goal to
eliminate the introduction
of foreign species into the
Great Lakes.
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