An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species issues will be on the agenda when representatives of more than two dozen federal, state and local agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, convene in Duluth for five days of meetings of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force from April 26-30, 1999.
"Attacking the problem of invasive species is one of my four principal priorities for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," said Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "These are Americas least- wanted species. They threaten our food, our water and potentially, our health."
A number of invasive species threats will be discussed, including the mitten crab, an Asian species that thrives in fresh water and was first discovered in California; the round goby, a bottom-feeding European fish that rapidly eliminates other species and the management of ballast water that is used by freighters. Discharged ballast water is among the principal culprits in the release of foreign, invasive species into domestic and coastal waterways. Participants will also hear reports and discussions about fish ecology, barriers to prevent the spread of nonindigenous species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin, and the 100th Meridian Initiative, a specific program aimed at preventing the westward spread of the zebra mussel.
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Clark is among six agency heads who are designated by law as members of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. Others include the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and the Secretary of Agriculture. Others taking part in the conference include an observer from the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C., as well as local officials representing Michigan, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, California, Vermont, Maryland, Oregon and Ohio.
The number of exotic species now in the United States is not known, but the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment reports that at least 2,300 species of nonnative animals inhabit the United States and as many as 4,000 species of nonindigenous plants may now be occurring in the wild.
While the single largest source of unintentional introductions of aquatic nuisance species is through the bilge water of ocean vessels originating from foreign ports, their spread has been assisted by movement of recreational boats from contaminated to uncontaminated areas; some fish stocking practices; and accidental releases associated with the aquaculture industry, the aquarium trade, bait business and horticultural practices. Their numbers include not only the zebra mussel and mitten crab, but other species such as the sea lamprey, purple loosestrife, European green crab, hydrilla and Asian swamp eels.
In the Great Lakes Basin, almost 140 nonindigenous aquatic species have become established since the early 1800s, primarily from ship-related introductions, removal of physical barriers and accidental releases. Biologists believe that more than a third of the organisms have been introduced since 1959, the year the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened to maritime commerce.
The Great Lakes sport and commercial fishing industry, valued at almost $4.5 billion annually, is at risk due to the rapidly-growing numbers of zebra and quagga mussels, sea lamprey, ruffe and round goby. Large water users in the Great Lakes, including municipalities and industry, pay at least $30 million a year to keep zebra mussels in check. Human health and the Gulf of Mexico shellfish industry were threatened when a strain of human cholera bacteria from South America was transported to Mobile Bay, Alabama.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of million of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
