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Prevent introductions and control existing populations of nonindigenous species in U.S. ocean and coastal waters.

The spread of nonindigenous species, such as zebra mussels, Asian clams, shipworms, and aquatic weeds, is one of the most serious threats to the nation's ocean and coastal ecosystems and the communities and economies that depend on them. One of the primary sources of aquatic nonindigenous species is discharge of ballast water in ships arriving from foreign ports. Every minute 40,000 gallons of foreign ballast water that may contain exotic species, including disease-causing pathogens, are discharged into U.S. harbors.Other sources include aquaculture, introductions of stocks for sportfishing, ship hulls, and floating debris.

Hundreds of nonindigenous species have now become established in the nation's coastal waters; over 240 nonindigenous species are found in San Francisco Bay alone. Once established, these species are almost impossible to eradicate. Nonindigenous species have displaced and eliminated native species, impacting fisheries and costing communities billions of dollars every year in control measures. For example, in 1996, foreign viruses reduced U.S. aquaculture production of shrimp by 50%, and failure to control the nonindigenous ruffe fish in the Great Lakes may cost over $ 500 million in losses to sport and commercial fisheries by 2005. Some nonindigenous species, such as cholera bacteria and some algae, have also had negative impacts on human health.

In February 1999, President Clinton established the U.S. Invasive Species Council through Executive Order 13112. The Council, chaired by the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, is responsible for fulfilling the Executive Order's mandates, including the development and implementation of a national action plan to address invasive nonindigenous species. While the action plan is a significant start, immediate and substantial progress is still required.

Ongoing Concerns

• The U.S. lacks comprehensive, coordinated strategies and actions to prevent the introduction and spread of nonindigenous species in ocean and coastal ecosystems and to identify and respond to nonindigenous species present in coastal areas.
• Little information is available on the potential threats of nonindigenous species, how to prevent their introduction, or their costs to marine and coastal ecosystems.
• U.S. efforts to date have focused on controlling existing introductions, and relatively little has been done to effectively reduce the continuing influx of nonindigenous aquatic species into coastal areas.
• There is no international system for controlling introduction of marine nonindigenous species.

Recommendations

• Increase efforts to prevent and control introductions of nonindigenous species into marine and coastal ecosystems through the Aquatic Nuisance Species ask Force established under the Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990.
• Increase support for existing regional initiatives in the Great Lakes, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico to control and prevent introductions of nonindigenous species.
• Develop and implement coordinated regional strategies in other areas, and integrate all regional efforts into a national strategy as part of the national nonindigenous species plan required under Executive Order 13112.
• Fully implement the National Ballast Water Information and the National Aquatic Nuisance Clearinghouses to provide a centralized location for information on ballast water treatment, coastal nonindigenous species, research, and education.
• Develop effective monitoring, education, research, and rapid-response capabilities to quickly identify and eliminate nonindigenous species before they become established.
• Support international efforts to prevent the introduction of nonindigenous marine species, such as the International Maritime Organization's Marine Environmental Protection Committee's Ballast Water Working Group.

For more information

http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/exotic/exotic.html
http://www.anstaskforce.gov/
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mso4/first.htm
http://www.fcsc.usgs.gov/Nonindigenous_Species/nonindigenous_species.html