Great Lakes Shipping, Trade, and Aquatic Invasive Species Special Report 291 (2008) / Chapter Skim
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6 Committee's Conclusions and Recommended Optionfor the Great Lakes Region
6 Committee's Conclusions and Recommended Optionfor the Great Lakes Region
Pages 122-171
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From page 122... ...
After examining a wide range of candidate actions aimed at meeting these criteria, the committee concluded that the only way to satisfy the absolute requirement to eliminate further shipvectored introductions of aquatic invasive species (AIS) would be to close the seaway to all vessel traffic.
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From page 123... ...
As noted in Chapter 5, examination of the candidate actions listed in Box 5-2 led the committee to conclude that there are two distinct approaches to eliminating further AIS introductions by vessels transiting the seaway: 1. Eliminate the shipping vector by removing or killing AIS carried by vessels.
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From page 124... ...
Such closure would not eliminate further ship-vectored AIS introductions by vessels transiting the seaway but would reduce substantially the risk of such introductions. The committee's conclusions with regard to both the above compromise options are discussed later.
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From page 125... ...
Keep Options Open for an Uncertain Future The need to keep options open and retain flexibility reflects the uncertainties underlying the selection and implementation of actions aimed at meeting the two project criteria. For example, experts are not yet in a position to make quantitative estimates of how effective ballast water management technologies will be when they are applied rigorously to all vessels posing a risk of AIS introductions.
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From page 126... ...
The committee sought to take account of such considerations in assessing candidate options for the Great Lakes region. The remainder of this chapter addresses two compromise options for meeting the project criteria.
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From page 127... ...
The committee's review of the literature suggests that partial answers are available to some of the relevant questions, but the comprehensive analysis needed to quantify with confidence the economic impacts of closing the seaway to transoceanic vessels is lacking. Permanent or Temporary Closure A few preliminary remarks about the two variants listed in Box 5-2 -- permanent and temporary closure of the seaway to transoceanic vessels -- are appropriate in the present context.
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From page 128... ...
Whether the Canadian government would increase its current subsidy to SLSMC to keep the seaway operating in the absence of transoceanic traffic is unknown. However, if revenues were insufficient to ensure continuing maintenance of the waterway's infrastructure -- a plausible consequence of a permanent or prolonged temporary closure to transoceanic shipping -- the seaway could cease to be a viable transportation option and could end up closing to all vessel traffic, not just to transoceanic vessels.
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From page 129... ...
Shipping companies (i.e., carriers) that have invested in specialized vessels for Great Lakes international trade would lose a key market if the seaway were closed to transoceanic shipping.
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From page 130... ...
Years could be lost awaiting uncertain legal and political outcomes, during which time AIS introductions would continue. The prolonged period of uncertainty could also adversely affect efforts to develop technological solutions to eliminate AIS from ballast water.
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From page 131... ...
In this respect, a decision to pursue closure of the seaway to transoceanic vessels could impede quick and comprehensive action with the potential to achieve the same end, namely, a significant reduction in further ship-vectored AIS introductions into the Great Lakes. Environmental Consequences Closing the seaway to transoceanic vessels would be expected to eliminate further AIS introductions by such vessels and would address both the ballast water and hull fouling vectors.
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From page 132... ...
These marine ports could become more vulnerable to AIS introductions vectored by hull fouling. Thus, while closing the seaway to transoceanic vessels would reduce the risk of ship-vectored AIS introductions into the Great Lakes, it could increase the risk of such introductions elsewhere by diverting vessel traffic to alternative destinations.
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From page 133... ...
. On the basis of the evidence available to the committee, the net effect of factors such as global warming and the changing balance in stores of freshwater on the Great Lakes region's economy and global trade remains unclear.
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From page 134... ...
saltwater ports more vulnerable to ship-vectored AIS introductions. • The increased cost of moving goods would not be trade enhanc ing, although the committee was unable to quantify the likely impact on the region's global trade.
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From page 135... ...
A combination of technological solutions, enforcement, and monitoring offers the potential to reduce markedly the risk of AIS introductions by shipping. At the same time it retains the seaway as a transportation option for a future in which the impacts of global warming, the changing balance of stores of freshwater, and sectoral and regional changes affecting both global trade and the Great Lakes region's economy are all uncertain.
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From page 136... ...
The AIS control program should incorporate the following features: • A uniform set of effective and enforceable standards that form a basis for preventing the release of AIS into the Great Lakes basin; • Monitoring for compliance with the standards, strict enforcement mechanisms, and remediation options for arriving vessels that do not immediately meet standards for entry; • Surveillance of the Great Lakes ecosystem for early detection of new AIS from any source; • Capabilities for containment, control, and possible subsequent eradication after the discovery of any new AIS; and • Feedback mechanisms to ensure that lessons learned from practical experience with prevention measures, including any fail ures of protective mechanisms, and knowledge gained through research are used to update and improve the control program over time. In this way, the control program would adapt to both new knowledge and experience with AIS introductions.
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From page 137... ...
Thus, the proposed approach is responsive to the calls for action by the many groups and individuals concerned about continuing reports of new AIS introductions into the Great Lakes. The committee recognizes that some may view its recommended control and eradication program and adaptive process as being beyond the scope of its charge, since they require actions to be taken after AIS have entered the Great Lakes.
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From page 138... ...
, saltwater flushing, and shipboard ballast water treatment -- can kill or remove AIS in ships' ballast water. If they are rigorously applied and strictly monitored, these technologies could reduce markedly the risk of further introductions of AIS into the Great Lakes by vessels transiting the St.
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From page 139... ...
(2007) investigated BWM practices for NOBOBs and reported that the routine use of saltwater flushing for NOBOB tanks would greatly improve the level of protection for the Great Lakes against further AIS introductions.
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From page 140... ...
Coast Guard since 2005 and required for vessels destined for Canadian Great Lakes ports since 2006.6 Because all transoceanic NOBOB vessels carry a risk of introducing AIS (see Chapter 4) , the committee considers it essential that all such vessels be subject to the same mandatory saltwater flushing requirement, regardless of their destination within the Great Lakes.
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From page 141... ...
Coast Guard should ensure that all vessels entering the Great Lakes after operating in coastal areas of eastern North America take protective measures similar to those required for transoceanic vessels, notably BWE for BOBs and salt water flushing for NOBOBs. The committee recognizes that some vessels may face operational constraints (dangerous sea states, carriage of specialized project cargoes)
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From page 142... ...
If accompanied by effective enforcement, this requirement would be an important step in ensuring that policies aimed at preventing further AIS introductions reflect the best current understanding of aquatic invasion biology and proven BWM practices. In the future, opportunities to increase the effectiveness of BWE or flushing through improved monitoring systems and new vessel designs could lead to enhanced protection of the Great Lakes against further introductions of AIS.
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From page 143... ...
The burden of installing, operating, and maintaining such shipboard ballast water monitoring systems on the shipping industry would need to be commensurate with the benefits in terms of more cost-effective inspection by enforcement agencies and more effective protection against AIS introductions. As discussed in Chapter 5, the rate at which BWE or flushing is superseded by shipboard ballast water treatment systems and associated ballast water discharge standards will be important in determining the overall cost-effectiveness of the automated reporting option.
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From page 144... ...
Shipboard Ballast Water Treatment BWE for ballasted vessels and saltwater flushing for NOBOBs are inexpensive and effective means of killing most of the freshwater organisms in ballast tanks. They do not, however, guarantee elimination of all potential invaders for several reasons.
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From page 145... ...
Because of these limitations, shipboard ballast water treatment systems are widely regarded as potentially more desirable than BWE or flushing for eliminating aquatic organisms from ballast water. In addition to giving vessels greater flexibility in managing their ballast water under a variety of operational conditions, such systems offer the promise of effective elimination of invasive organisms.
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From page 146... ...
This process aims to ensure that a system meets the proposed IMO ballast water performance standard, is sufficiently robust for shipboard use, has minimal environmental impact, and is suitable for use in the specific shipboard environment where it is to be installed. The Lloyd's Register report notes that capital cost information for shipboard treatment systems is not widely available and that 8 As reported during a presentation to the committee from Richard Everett, U.S.
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From page 147... ...
An outstanding question is whether the proposed IMO standards, and in particular the D-2 standard, are sufficiently stringent to protect the Great Lakes against further AIS introductions by vessels transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway.
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From page 148... ...
D-2 Ballast Water Performance Standard Ships conducting ballast water management shall discharge less than 10 viable organisms per cubic meter greater than or equal to 50 micrometers (microns) in minimum dimension and less than 10 viable organisms per milliliter less than 50 micrometers in mini mum dimension and greater than or equal to 10 micrometers in minimum dimension; and discharge of the indicator microbes shall not exceed the specified concentrations.
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From page 149... ...
Second, evidence available to the committee makes it clear that routine, accurate, and cost-effective monitoring systems to verify compliance with any ballast water treatment standard do not exist. For example, the proposed IMO D-2 standard requires reliable monitoring of numbers and viability of the entire ambient microfauna before and after treatment, which is a daunting challenge.
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From page 150... ...
standards would raise the possibility of a diversion of maritime trade away from the nation with more stringent standards, with vessels choosing to use ports with less demanding constraints on ballast water discharge. In the committee's view, common ballast water standards are needed for all vessels entering the Great Lakes.
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From page 151... ...
In addition, establishing such a standard would remove current market and technical uncertainties and could, therefore, encourage investment by equipment manufacturers and shipowners in the development and demonstration of ballast water treatment systems for vessels entering the Great Lakes (Hodgson 2007)
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From page 152... ...
In addition, early detection of new AIS could form the basis for efforts to control, or possibly even eradicate, new invaders. The committee strongly endorses the view that preventing further AIS introductions -- as opposed to controlling or eradicating populations of new AIS following their establishment -- is the preferred approach to managing AIS.
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From page 153... ...
. Leveraging ongoing monitoring activities, including the Sea Grant extension and outreach programs on invasive species, could help in establishing a scientifically robust and costeffective AIS surveillance program for the Great Lakes.
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From page 154... ...
. In contrast, efforts to control or eradicate invasive species in aquatic habitats have been more limited and generally directed toward small isolated water bodies, with varying effectiveness.
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From page 155... ...
Institutional requirements favoring eradication include sufficient resources to carry the effort to its conclusion, clearly defined lines of authority with the lead organization able to take immediate action if necessary, broad support and public participation, and the knowledge base necessary to inform decisions. An eradication program would need to be closely linked to the recommended surveillance program.
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From page 156... ...
AN ADAPTIVE PROCESS Progress in invasion biology has led to a greater understanding of which species are likely to invade and the risk factors for invasions. However, ongoing changes in donor regions, in vectors and pathways of introduction, and in the Great Lakes ecosystem itself
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From page 157... ...
The recent change in the Seaway Practices and Procedures to reflect improved understanding of the role of transoceanic NOBOB vessels in introducing AIS is a case in point. Since 1993, when BWE became mandatory for all transoceanic vessels entering the Great Lakes in ballast, a total of 19 new AIS have been reported in the Great Lakes, including the freshwater shrimp Echinogammarus ischnus in 1995, the waterflea Cercopagis pengoi in 1998, and the mysid shrimp Hemimysis anomala in 2006.
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From page 158... ...
Periodic review of field surveillance data and vessel compliance data from Transport Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard would be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of measures to prevent further introductions of AIS into the Great Lakes by vessels transiting the seaway.
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From page 159... ...
The committee envisages that a single organization would be responsible for the adaptive process, including conduct of the expert reviews to examine and advise on prevention policies relating to individual AIS introductions and the overall issue of AIS in the Great Lakes. This organization would require a formal binational mandate, together with the appropriate resources, and should be widely perceived as independent and free from conflicts of interest.
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From page 160... ...
Eliminating Further AIS Introductions Given the number, diversity, and distribution of vectors and pathways for AIS introductions into the Great Lakes, the committee views elimination of all further invasions as unlikely. This view is reinforced by the observation that a number of potential invaders have robust survival strategies that make them particularly difficult to eliminate, such as the ability to reproduce asexually from a single individual (parthenogenesis)
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From page 161... ...
However, its examination of the shipping vector through the seaway in the broad context of all AIS introductions into the Great Lakes led it to conclude that a combination of technology, enforcement, and monitoring for compliance constitutes the most robust, practical, technically feasible, and effective approach, and the one that offers the most rapid response to the issue. The committee is optimistic that its recommended suite of actions, if fully implemented, would result in substantial progress toward elimination of further introductions of AIS by vessels transiting the seaway and would reduce this vector/ route to a minor contributor to the overall problem of AIS introductions into the Great Lakes.
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From page 162... ...
BWM standards for vessels entering the Great Lakes, could help create an environment conducive to enhancing the region's global trade by removing current regulatory uncertainties about the availability of waterborne freight transportation. In addition, opposition to Great Lakes shipping from those concerned about the negative impacts of ship-vectored AIS introductions could be greatly reduced in the event of substantial progress toward eliminating such introductions.
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From page 163... ...
However, its discussions with representatives of the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes maritime industry, the creation of marine industry environmental initiatives such as the binational Green Marine program,15 and efforts by individual shipping companies to investigate and implement ballast water treatment systems led the committee to conclude that transoceanic shipping through the seaway would not cease as a result of the additional costs associated with the proposed AIS control program.
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From page 164... ...
The committee anticipates that the surveillance program, the control and eradication program, and the adaptive process could also be established in at least a preliminary form in a similar time frame, with enhancements being implemented in later years. The recommended approach has the further advantage of helping to solve the AIS problem in the Great Lakes without transferring it to other locations, such as marine ports on the east coast of Canada and the United States.
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From page 165... ...
The committee anticipates that full implementation of its suite of recommended actions will require resources over and above those already devoted to the prevention of further AIS introductions into the Great Lakes. In particular, the recommended surveillance, control and eradication, and adaptive management initiatives will require new dedicated and continuing funding to ensure that their objectives are met.
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From page 166... ...
, the committee notes that further investigation of funding sources will be needed to ensure full implementation of its recommended AIS control program. MANAGING THE WATERS OF THE GREAT LAKES -- A VISION FOR THE FUTURE In the committee's view, changes driven by nature and by human activities on the Great Lakes themselves and on the immense drainage basin call for collective management.
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From page 167... ...
BWM regulations complicate compliance for vessels but do not provide a greater degree of protection against AIS introductions for the nation with more stringent requirements. In contrast, efforts by the two nations to work together in preventing further AIS introductions can optimize the use of available resources to ensure maximum effectiveness, as illustrated by the example of the binational Ballast Water Working Group, which was formed in 2006 to address inspection and enforcement procedures for vessels entering the GLSLS system (see Chapter 4)
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From page 168... ...
• A requirement for all transoceanic and coastal vessels transiting the seaway to conduct BWE or saltwater flushing, if combined with effective enforcement, would be an important step in en suring that policies aimed at preventing further AIS introduc tions into the Great Lakes reflect the best current understanding of aquatic invasion biology and proven BWM practices. • The adoption of a single set of ballast water standards for the Great Lakes equivalent to the proposed IMO BWM standards would provide a robust basis for evaluating the effectiveness of shipboard ballast water treatment systems and for informing fu ture decisions about AIS prevention policies.
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From page 169... ...
develop capabilities for con tainment, control, and possible subsequent eradication follow ing the discovery of any new AIS. • An adaptive process that takes account of new knowledge and lessons learned in preventing AIS introductions would ensure that the proposed technology-based AIS control program responds to the ever-changing challenges posed by AIS in the Great Lakes.
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From page 170... ...
2007. Ballast Water Treatment Technologies and Their Application for Vessels Entering the Great Lakes via the St.
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From page 171... ...
2007. Surveillance and Control of Aquatic Invasive Species in the Great Lakes.
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