The Center for Aquatic Conservation at the University of Notre Dame released a report this past July about the costs of Invasive Species in the Great Lakes region. Total yearly losses were calculated at $200 Million, with the sport fishing industry leading as the hardest hit ($123.5 Million/year).
Follow the link for a fact sheet on this Report:
http://www.glu.org/english/invasive_species/economy/lodge_factsheet.pdf
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It has been stated by those who favor ballast laws, that do not impose cost on shipping, using the ocean flush, that compliance with the ocean flush has prevented new introductions of invasive s. They talk of requirements equal to drinking water, good idea since our children swim getting water in their mouth, up their nose, etc. Perhaps if compliance is being adhered by the shipping industry, notorious for US tax evasion by registering ships in different countries, they would be willing to drink some of it to save on testing and insure confidence they are continuing to enforce regulations.
The salt water Flush is known to be affective only for some fresh water problems and it is known that sludge, bio films, cysts, etc, still contain and carry virus and pathogens even if the costly, dangerous, ineffective ocean flush is done without short cuts by foreign sea captains while in US waters. How is compliance in third world countries where there is no infrastructure to test foreign flag ships going to be insured so they do not continue to introduce deadly human disease such as cholera, which is not stopped by an ocean flush?
Since 2006 there has been quite a bit of scrutiny given to ships ballast water. Foreign sea captains have been more compliant, but without mandatory technology installation, when the hoopla is over the often dangerous, ineffective, costly ocean flush will again be regarded by industry as a cost, and it will again be business as usual.
Concerns already created in the great lakes should not be mixed through out the lakes. These existing algae problems etc., should and could be contained with mandatory technology installation. The procrastination to equip with technology is about money, not human health and the environment.
If ballast water technology creates an economic hardship for shipping, perhaps stimulus to the part of the shipping industry that will fly the US flag, not trying to avoid paying US tax, would be in order.
Lake Pontchartrain should be the wake up call that these systems are capable of delivering other problems for human health and the environment besides living organisms. Chemicals, drugs, nuclear waste water are all reasons the states need comprehensive Federal protection, as the states obviously have been unable to protect themselves.
The Arctic is historically known as a clandestine dumping ground for governments and industry we have no idea, if as the ice melts, these non living pollutants will be induced into new shipping lanes now opening.
We need comprehensive Federal law but,
unfortunately China and South Korea are the largest ship builders in the world competing with each other and environmentalist efforts may be futile, as this administration may not act significantly on a Federal level, because they need China to keep its legacy of involvement in the Korean war caged, it appears South Korea leads in ballast water involvement, which may have created a scenario where this administration is scared and afraid to act, because of upsetting China.
NY laws are significantly important as they currently are the only way, to force these tax dodgers in the shipping industry, to spend the money required to protect all America's water forever, equally from invasive s, human bacterial pathogens and virus.
It has been stated by those who favor ballast laws, that do not impose cost on shipping, using the ocean flush, that compliance with the ocean flush has prevented new introductions of invasive s. They talk of requirements equal to drinking water, good idea since our children swim getting water in their mouth, up their nose, etc. Perhaps if compliance is being adhered by the shipping industry, notorious for US tax evasion by registering ships in different countries, they would be willing to drink some of it to save on testing and insure confidence they are continuing to enforce regulations.
The salt water Flush is known to be affective only for some fresh water problems and it is known that sludge, bio films, cysts, etc, still contain and carry virus and pathogens even if the costly, dangerous, ineffective ocean flush is done without short cuts by foreign sea captains while in US waters. How is compliance in third world countries where there is no infrastructure to test foreign flag ships going to be insured so they do not continue to introduce deadly human disease such as cholera, which is not stopped by an ocean flush?
Since 2006 there has been quite a bit of scrutiny given to ships ballast water. Foreign sea captains have been more compliant, but without mandatory technology installation, when the hoopla is over the often dangerous, ineffective, costly ocean flush will again be regarded by industry as a cost, and it will again be business as usual.
Concerns already created in the great lakes should not be mixed through out the lakes. These existing algae problems etc., should and could be contained with mandatory technology installation. The procrastination to equip with technology is about money, not human health and the environment.
If ballast water technology creates an economic hardship for shipping, perhaps stimulus to the part of the shipping industry that will fly the US flag, not trying to avoid paying US tax, would be in order.
Lake Pontchartrain should be the wake up call that these systems are capable of delivering other problems for human health and the environment besides living organisms. Chemicals, drugs, nuclear waste water are all reasons the states need comprehensive Federal protection, as the states obviously have been unable to protect themselves.
The Arctic is historically known as a clandestine dumping ground for governments and industry we have no idea, if as the ice melts, these non living pollutants will be induced into new shipping lanes now opening.
We need comprehensive Federal law but,
unfortunately China and South Korea are the largest ship builders in the world competing with each other and environmentalist efforts may be futile, as this administration may not act significantly on a Federal level, because they need China to keep its legacy of involvement in the Korean war caged, it appears South Korea leads in ballast water involvement, which may have created a scenario where this administration is scared and afraid to act, because of upsetting China.
NY laws are significantly important as they currently are the only way, to force these tax dodgers in the shipping industry, to spend the money required to protect all America's water forever, equally from invasive s, human bacterial pathogens and virus.
Post a Comment