PRESS RELEASE
National Wildlife Federation Wisconsin Wildlife Federation
Uphold Strong Invasive Species Protections, Conservation Groups Urge Wisconsin
‘We Cannot Allow a Handful of Foreign Ships to Hold Economy, Great Lakes Hostage’
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (May 29, 2009)-Citing a recent EPA report showing how few ships visit Wisconsin ports, the National Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation today urged the state to hold firm on its proposal to restrict foreign ships’ discharge of ballast water contaminated by invasive species.
“We cannot allow a handful of foreign ships to hold our economy, Great Lakes and way of life hostage,” said Marc Smith, state policy manager for the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center. “The state of Wisconsin has the authority and the responsibility to put forward the strongest protections possible against the serious threat of aquatic invasive species, before the problem gets worse and more costly.”
According to the report, only 16 foreign vessels discharged ballast water at Wisconsin ports from 2006-2007, including:
4 ships at Green Bay
2 ships at Milwaukee
10 ships at Superior
“Protecting Wisconsin’s waters from invasive species will have little to no effect on the shipping industry, but it will be hugely beneficial to Wisconsin’s businesses, cities and people who depend on the Great Lakes,” said George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. “It only takes one discharge of invasive species from one ship to devastate our lakes and our economy.
That’s what happened with zebra mussels, and that’s what Wisconsin’s proposed protections are designed to prevent from happening again.”
The Brookings Institution found that the city of Milwaukee could see at least a $1.5 billion economic benefit from restoring the Great Lakes, which depends in part on stopping the introduction of aquatic invasive species. The region as a whole would see at least $50 billion in economic benefits, according to the study.
“Wisconsin has the opportunity to slam the door on invasive species, advance Great Lakes restoration and boost the regional economy,” said Smith. “Allowing just a few foreign ships to treat the Great Lakes as their dumping ground for biological waste will continue to kill the region economically.”
Notre Dame University researchers found that aquatic invasive species cost people, businesses, utilities and communities at least $200 million per year.
Conservation groups are urging the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to not weaken proposed protections it put forward this year to curb the introduction of invasive species into the Great Lakes via ballast water from foreign ships. The regulations have gone through public comment period. The DNR now must issue the final rule.
Ballast water discharge is the No. 1 way non-native species enter the Great Lakes. Since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, 84 non-native species have been discovered in the Great Lakes-57 of those likely from ballast water discharge, including the zebra mussel and round goby.
A new non-native species is discovered in the Great Lakes every 28 weeks.
Read the EPA report at:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=190305
For more information: www.nwf.org/greatlakes
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.
For Immediate Release:
May 28, 2009
Contact:
Marc Smith, National Wildlife Federation, 734-255-5413 George Meyer, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, 608-516-5545 Jordan Lubetkin, National Wildlife Federation, 734-887-7109
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