Canada
and the United States share stewardship of one of the world's
treasures. The Great Lakes provide fresh water, a commercial fishing
industry, passageway for international and domestic vessel traffic
through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System, and a multitude
of leisure activities. Environmental issues concerning the health
and safety for this international treasure have been raised for
decades, with government response from either side of the shoreline
at best slow in coming.
Today
we have come to understand the environmental impact of our daily
routines on the future of sustainability of our planet. There are
those who will argue the validity of the issues surrounding climate
change, yet one environmental concern that cannot be disputed is the
damage caused by alien species to world habitats. These are not
little green men landing on flying saucers nor the Fox Mulder of
X-Files fame versions. The
Canadian Government Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada 2004
defines them as following; “Alien
species are species of plants, animals, and micro-organisms
introduced by human action outside their natural past or present
distribution. Invasive alien species are those harmful alien species
whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy,
or society, including human health. Invasive alien species can
originate from other continents, neighbouring countries, or from
other ecosystems within Canada.” The most
alarming point in this definition is the fact that these alien
species all had been introduced by human action.
Alien
species do not choose only a particular country to wreak havoc upon,
they are a global concern and are considered to be the greatest
threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. In Canada we
have sixteen alien species with annual economic costs ranging between
$13.3 and $34.5 billion. Globally the costs are staggering,
estimated at $1.4 trillion annually, that is some 5% of the total
global economy, as compared to $190 billion for natural disasters.
(Ministry of Natural Resources, Invasive Species Centre – 2010
Strategic Plan)
It
may be difficult for some to envision the comparison of these alien
species to the might of a hurricane Sandy, or a wall of water
stretching dozens of feet towards the sky as a result of a tsunami.
Still the overall cost of these biological aliens threatens the
natural environment, our over-stretched economy and can affect human
health. Governments globally work in partnership with both
commercial and environmental groups, and the public to battle and
control these aliens. In the end we all share the burden and its
costs.
On
November 8th 2012, a public forum was held in Toronto
addressing the issues in relation to one of the alien species that we
are dealing with. The Asian Carp has become apparently a serious
public enemy to the Great Lakes. It is potentially a big fish
ranging from 3 to 5 feet in length. Originally introduced to North
America in the 1970's to control algae in aquaculture ponds in the
southern United States. As many of man's great ideas it got out of
control and the Asian Carp got away. So unlike the fisherman who
would rather not speak of the one that got away, it seems we are all
speaking of this one.
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| Asian Carp Public Forum, held in Toronto Nov. 8, 2012 |
The
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative in fact presented a
joint forum of US and Canadian experts, government officials to
explain how the Asian Carp can be a threat to our waterways, and the
many methods being put in place to monitor its migration. The GLSLCI
is a bi-national coalition of mayors and other local officials that
works actively with federal, state and provincial governments to
advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and the St.
Lawrence River. A full out war has been declared against the Asian
Carp, even though it is only one of the sixteen invasive species that
we are dealing with in Canada.
As
an invasive species the Asian Carp is a formidable fish, with a
number of varieties. The most common varieties found in North
America are the Bighead, Silver, Grass and Black Carp. It is the
Bighead Carp and the Silver Carp that have spread the most
aggressively and can be considered one of the greatest threats to the
Great Lakes. At least both the US and Canadian authorities
portray this 'menace' as one of the greatest threats.
 |
| Source: ontario.ca/invasivespecies |
The
Asian Carp is not the only alien that threatens global biodiversity
and that of Canada. Other alien species such as the European Green
Crab which preys on mussels, clams and other crabs, threatening
shellfish stocks on the Atlantic coast; Purple Loosestrife, a
European invader introduced to Canada in the 1800's, degrades
wetlands; Zebra Mussel, industries with operations on the Great Lakes
spend millions of dollars a year dealing with zebra mussels, which
multiply so quickly that they clog intake pipes and sink navigational
buoys; Sea Lamprey is a primitive, parasitic fish, these eel-like
creatures with suction cup, bloodsucking mouths can kill more than 18
kg of the fish they prey on during their 12 to 20 month adult life;
Emerald Ash Borer originated in Eastern Asia and was first found in
Canada in 2002, its larvae burrow through the inner bark of ash trees
while the young beetles feed on leaves, damaging and eventually
killing the tree; and there are more such as the Didymo also known as
“rock snot,” Gypsy Moth, Asian Long-Horned Beetle and Round Goby.
The
list of invasive species seems to grow and the variety of species
increase, at the same time as threatening our ecosystems, the
economic cost rises just as quickly. In Montreal, April 2009, the
Trinational (Canada, US and Mexico) Commission for Environmental
Cooperation confirmed that economic losses and costs of environmental
impacts caused by invasive species exceed $100 billion annually in
the US alone.
In
Ontario the total impact of the zebra mussel is estimated to be
between $75 to $91 million per year (Ministry of Natural Resources,
Ontario Invasive Species – Strategic Plan 2012). The Emerald
Ash Borer has killed over one million trees in south western Ontario,
and the City of Toronto estimated it will cost $37 million over five
years to cut and replace the city owned trees. At the same time the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has spent over $30 million to
cut over 130,000 trees to slow the spread of the beetle.
Invasive
species do not terrorize the trinational partners, Canada, US and
Mexico alone. As already stated global impact from those aliens
reach a staggering $1.4 trillion and considered a great threat to
biodiversity. In Great Britain researchers at Queen Mary, University
of London estimated the impact of invasive species in the Thames
River at $2.7 billion a year. According to Brian Clark Howard of
National Geographic News in Water Currents on November 2nd
2012, “a recent study suggests the Thames River is among the
world's most invaded systems,” (Thames River Invasive Species;
Freshwater Species of the Week, National Geographic News, Nov. 2nd
2012).
Maybe
little green men would be easier to deal with, yet the issue we face
in relation to both ecological and economic stresses from these
invasive species is very serious. There may be questions raised at
what motivates such an all out war on one of the aliens when that
alien can in fact be eaten. The Asian Carp is not poisonous nor is
it destructive as the Sea Lamprey. It is a food source in a great
part of the world. Instead we in North America have a policy which
resulted in almost 4000 pounds of Asian Carp seized which was
destined for the Ontario markets in 2010 (CBC News, Nov. 9,
2012).
According
to information released by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA)
shipments of Asian Carp have been seized at border crossings and
companies have faced stiff fines. Some examples that have been
provided list seizures at the Windsor crossing for January 9th
and 25th and February 28th 2012 totalling
23,400 lbs. In 2011 one importer was fined by the Province of
Ontario for $60,000 another was fined $20,000, and in June 2012 a
Toronto fish company and its president were fined a total of $50,000
(Canadian Border Services Agency fact sheet). At the Asian
Carp Public Forum held on November 8th 2012 one of the
points that was discussed was in fact the penalties and heavy
enforcement of the laws in relation to the importing of Asian Carp
into North America. With several uniformed individuals walking around
with firearms on their hips left no doubt in anyone's mind how
serious a threat these fish are considered to be.
Canada
has committed $17 million to the battle zone against the alien. The
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which coordinated the
forum was instituted to advance the protection and restoration of the
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, yet no such forums have been
arranged to deal with the issues of contaminates that are poured into
our Great Lakes daily. The Great Lakes contain six quadrillion
gallons of fresh water, one fifth of the world's fresh surface water,
only the polar ice caps and Lake Baikal in Siberia contain more,
(Great Lakes Information Network). They contain 21% of the
world's supply of surface fresh water and 84% of North America's
surface fresh water according to the US EPA. Yet company after
company, with or without a president, empties dangerous contaminates indiscriminately into the Great Lakes. There are no forums by the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative on this. There are no
officials from any ministry or department of environment bragging of
enforcement or penalties levied, and no gun-toting dudes parading the
corridors. Sadly only hard evidence to the contrary exists.
A
Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada 2005 released by Fisheries
and Oceans Canada, Economic Analysis and Statistics may shed a
light on the motivation behind such a war on one alien. According to
this survey, anglers spent a total of $215 million in direct
recreational fishing expenditures on the Great Lakes in 2005. With
transportation, food and lodging being the principle expenditure for
all anglers amounting to over $74 million. Environment Canada
reports in 2010 the Great Lakes sustained a $350 million recreational
fishing industry with some 1.5 million recreational boaters, in
addition to a $100 million commercial fishing industry. Is it
feasible to assume there may be just one or two lobbyists in the ear
of government?
Is
it not feasible to turn this alien into a profit making business
alternative exporting the meat to world markets? According to an
Annual Report for 2009-2010 by the Kentucky State University –
Division of Aquaculture, we in North America do not find the carp
as a popular edible in contrast to many countries in the world. It
appears that the main problem with potential consumers in North
America is the fact that the carp has many intramuscular bones and we
generally do not like to eat fish meat with small bones and prefer
boneless fish fillet. Maybe that answers why fish sticks at the
supermarket freezers are so popular.
Why
has man's natural ability to adapt and think been pushed aside in
favour of a war that costs hundreds of millions of dollars? The
issues surrounding invasive alien species is extremely serious.
These invasive species create havoc and threaten our very future. It
is not a situation we can ignore. Yet here we have one of the aliens
that turn out to be a profitable viable alternative. Is it time to
re-think what we are doing? And maybe it will be the carp who will
have to adapt and re-think its act of jumping out of the water into
boats.
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| Source: ontario.ca/invasivespecies
Send comments to: demtruth@gmail.com
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