Groups Demand Moratorium on Access to Great Lakes by Ocean-Going Ships
“the health of the Great Lakes must not be held hostage when transportation alternatives
exist”
(Buffalo,
NY March 20, 2007)-The day before the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, conservationists
and organized labour are demanding a moratorium on ocean-going vessel access to
the Great Lakes until the U.S.
and Canadian governments enforce ballast water regulations that protect the
lakes from aquatic invasive species. The groups are building support for the moratorium
online at www.saltfreelakes.org.
“Invasive
species are crippling our lakes, endangering our jobs and health, and burdening
our economy,” said Jim Mahon,
Canadian Autoworkers, Local 1520. “Until the Canadian and U.S. governments stand up and stop this
onslaught, we endorse a moratorium on the handful of ocean vessels that
currently enter the Great Lakes.”
Canadian
Auto Workers Local 1520 and Great Lakes United contest that until regulatory solutions
curb the influx of devastating invasive species, the door to the primary vector
of introduction in the Great Lakes-the untreated ballast of ocean-going
vessels- must be closed. During the moratorium international cargo bound for
the Great Lakes region could be offloaded before
reaching the lakes and moved via transportation options such as Lake-vessel,
barge, rail or truck. The groups want the moratorium to last until the U.S. and
Canadian governments adequately protect the Lakes from aquatic invasive species
like the zebra mussel, which are regularly released by ocean-going vessels when
they discharge contents of their ballast water tanks.
“Our
call is a response to the negligence of the U.S. and Canadian governments to
solve this urgent problem,” said Jennifer Nalbone, Campaign Director for
Great Lakes United. “We will continue to work diligently in support of
federal and regional regulations, but in the meantime the health of the Lakes
must not be held hostage when transportation alternatives exist.”
Since
the St. Lawrence Seaway System opened the lakes to deep-draft international
shipping in 1959, 65 percent of the aquatic invasive species that entered the Great lakes were brought in by ocean-vessels. This
includes invaders such as the spiny water flea, round goby, zebra mussel and quagga
mussel. The cost to the Great Lakes economy
from the zebra and quagga mussel invasions alone is estimated to be $500
million a year over the next five years. Ballast is also implicated in the
possible transport of the newly detected bloody red mysid and viral hemorrhagic
septicemia (VHS) fish virus. Research shows that the rate of discovery of
invaders in the Great Lakes is correlated with
shipping activity, and is amongst the highest rates for any aquatic system in
the world. On average, one new non-native species is detected in the Great Lakes every 28 weeks from all vectors.
“The
longer we wait for new legislation and take a ‘business as usual’
approach the worse the problem gets and the more costly the solutions,”
said Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes United. “We will
promote all alternatives that stop dirty ships from introducing invaders to the
Great Lakes. Our economy and our quality of
life depend on it.”
For
more information contact:
Jim Mahon,
Canadian Auto Workers Local 1520: (519) 851-5288 jimahon@ody.ca
Jennifer
Nalbone, Great Lakes United: (716) 983-3831 jen@glu.org
Derek
Stack, Great Lakes United: (613) 797-9532 drstack@glu.org
Support
the call for a moratorium on ocean-vessel access into the Great
Lakes until adequate regulations are enforced, online at: www.saltfreelakes.org
Brent Gibson
Communications
Coordinator
Great Lakes United
bgibson@glu.org | http://www.glu.org
Celebrating
25 years of Great Lakes Protection
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visit
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