US DoT rejects closure of St Lawrence Seaway to fight invasive species
The US Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), the federal agency responsible for the passage of vessels into the Great Lakes, has applauded the findings of a study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that closing the seaway to ocean-going vessels is not the answer to ending the further introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into the Great Lakes.
The study, Great Lakes Shipping, Trade, and Aquatic Invasive Species, concluded that closing the Seaway could not guarantee prevention of further invasive species as non-ship-related vectors would continue to allow AIS into the Great Lakes.
As previously reported, the damage done by AIS such as zebra and quagga mussels to native fish stocks, tourism and infrastructure (eg water intake pipes) has been estimated to run into billions of dollars and there have been frequent calls for the lakes to be closed to international shipping, which would have a devastating impact on Lake ports and dry bulk trades in particular.
Only three weeks ago, a report from the Center for Aquatic Conservation at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana estimated the damage to the US portion of the Lakes to be running at around US$200M/year.
However, says SLSDC, closing the Seaway to even one category of traffic would likely reduce economic competition, raise consumer prices, and increase greenhouse gas emissions.
As a result, “The committee’s evaluation of the effects of closing the seaway to transoceanic shipping led it to conclude that this action would be not only high risk, but also an impractical and unsatisfactory compromise.”
“The National Academy of Sciences has confirmed that the idea of closing the Seaway is legally unfeasible, politically unrealistic, and economically disastrous for the US and Canada,” said Administrator Terry Johnson, who heads the SLSDC. “Closure would damage trade, increase surface congestion, provoke negative environmental impacts, and still fail to prevent future non-native species from entering the Great Lakes.”
A 13-member committee of US and Canadian scientists, engineers and academics conducted the study, which began in 2004. The group recommended nine actions to enhance global trade in the region and end ship-borne introductions of AIS into the Great Lakes. One of these would require all vessels entering the Great Lakes to take protective measures similar to those currently required for transoceanic vessels.
In March this year, the SLSDC issued regulations that followed Transport Canada’s lead in requiring saltwater flushing for all foreign-flagged vessels fully loaded with cargo entering the Seaway from outside the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. This action was cited by the report as an example of the type of effective ballast-water management practice that is required.
