Controlling Ballast Water: Controlling Ballast Water: Limiting the InvasionLimiting the Invasion

Jerry JoyceJerry Joyce

Seattle AudubonSeattle Audubon

www.seattleaudubon.orgwww.seattleaudubon.org

All materials copyrighted © 2005, Seattle Audubon Society

Why does Seattle Audubon Why does Seattle Audubon care about ballast water?care about ballast water?

• Seattle Audubon cultivates and leads a Seattle Audubon cultivates and leads a community that values and protects birds and the community that values and protects birds and the natural environment.natural environment.

• There are documented instances in which birds There are documented instances in which birds have been directly harmed by the effects of have been directly harmed by the effects of ballast water discharge, as well as many cases of ballast water discharge, as well as many cases of indirect harm. indirect harm.

• The release of ballast water that contains The release of ballast water that contains invasive or pathogenic species, or other invasive or pathogenic species, or other contaminants, into our waters neither values nor contaminants, into our waters neither values nor protects our natural environment. protects our natural environment.

The InvasionThe Invasion

• 7,633 ship-visits in 20047,633 ship-visits in 2004

• Discharge introduces exotic speciesDischarge introduces exotic species

• Some exotic species are invasive, Some exotic species are invasive, others are direct health threats others are direct health threats through disease or contaminationthrough disease or contamination

The PlanThe Plan

• Reduce/eliminate introduction of Reduce/eliminate introduction of exotics now through mid-ocean exotics now through mid-ocean exchange and/or treatmentexchange and/or treatment

• Eliminate introductions of all exotics Eliminate introductions of all exotics through treatment when feasible through treatment when feasible

Why Washington?Why Washington?Why Now?Why Now?

• There are gaps in all current rulesThere are gaps in all current rules

• There are inspection problemsThere are inspection problems

• There are insufficient data collectedThere are insufficient data collected

• Invasive species threaten WA Invasive species threaten WA economy and environmenteconomy and environment

The New LawThe New Law

If you haven't exchanged or treated If you haven't exchanged or treated ballast water, you can't discharge it ballast water, you can't discharge it in our watersin our waters

Shippers' ChoicesShippers' Choices

• Do open-ocean exchangeDo open-ocean exchange• Hold the ballast waterHold the ballast water• Install approved treatmentInstall approved treatment• Install approved experimental Install approved experimental

treatmenttreatment• Plan to install approved treatment (if Plan to install approved treatment (if

dry docking is required)dry docking is required)• Pay a finePay a fine

How Bad Can It Get? How Bad Can It Get? Look to SF BayLook to SF Bay

• More than 234 non-native plant and More than 234 non-native plant and animal species are now established animal species are now established in the Bayin the Bay

• Up to 99% of the biomass and 97% Up to 99% of the biomass and 97% of the organisms in the Bay are now of the organisms in the Bay are now non-native non-native

Some Exotic Species Currently Some Exotic Species Currently Observed in WashingtonObserved in Washington

• Cnidaria (jelly fish, coral, etc.)Cnidaria (jelly fish, coral, etc.)– Cordylophora caspia Cordylophora caspia

Black/Caspian Seas Black/Caspian Seas • Annelida: Polychaeta (pile Annelida: Polychaeta (pile

worms, sea worms)worms, sea worms)– Polydora cornuta Polydora cornuta N Atlantic N Atlantic – Pseudopolydora bassarginensis Pseudopolydora bassarginensis

NW Pacific NW Pacific – Pseudopolydora kempi japonica Pseudopolydora kempi japonica

NW Pacific NW Pacific – Streblospio benedicti Streblospio benedicti N Atlantic N Atlantic

• Arthropoda: Crustacea: Arthropoda: Crustacea: Ostracoda ("seed shrimp")Ostracoda ("seed shrimp")– Eusarsiella zostericola Eusarsiella zostericola NW Atlantic NW Atlantic

• Arthropoda: Crustacea: Arthropoda: Crustacea: CumaceaCumacea– Nippoleucon hinumensis Nippoleucon hinumensis NW NW

Pacific Pacific • Arthropoda: Crustacea: Arthropoda: Crustacea:

TanaidaceaTanaidacea– Sinelobus stanfordi Sinelobus stanfordi not known not known

• Arthropoda: Crustacea: Arthropoda: Crustacea: Amphipoda Amphipoda – Ampithoe valida Ampithoe valida NW Atlantic NW Atlantic – Caprella mutica Caprella mutica NW Pacific NW Pacific – Grandidierella japonica Grandidierella japonica NW Pacific NW Pacific – Jassa marmorata Jassa marmorata NW Atlantic NW Atlantic – Melita nitida Melita nitida NW Atlantic NW Atlantic

• Urochordata (sea squirts)Urochordata (sea squirts)– Molgula manhattensis Molgula manhattensis NW Atlantic NW Atlantic

1998 & 2000 surveys in the shallow waters of Elliott Bay, Totten and Eld Inlets, and Willapa Bay reporting

species that were probably introduced through ballast water

What's the Cost?What's the Cost?Examples of National Annual Examples of National Annual

CostCost• 3-5 Billion dollars—Zebra mussel3-5 Billion dollars—Zebra mussel

• 1 Billion dollars—Asian clams1 Billion dollars—Asian clams

• 200 Million dollars—Shipworm200 Million dollars—Shipworm

• 44 Million dollars—European green 44 Million dollars—European green crabcrab

WA Dangers: WA Dangers: Infrastructure ExamplesInfrastructure Examples

• Utilities: uptake and discharge Utilities: uptake and discharge piping, screening, water qualitypiping, screening, water quality

• Ports and cities: pilings, cabling, Ports and cities: pilings, cabling, subsurface equipment, sea walls, subsurface equipment, sea walls, liabilityliability

• Agriculture: irrigation, dikes, Agriculture: irrigation, dikes, transportationtransportation

WA Dangers: WA Dangers: Aquatic Industries ExamplesAquatic Industries Examples

• Shellfish: predation, viral and Shellfish: predation, viral and bacterial contamination, competition bacterial contamination, competition for resourcesfor resources

• Fisheries: predation on juvenile fish, Fisheries: predation on juvenile fish, reduced prey fish and zooplankton, reduced prey fish and zooplankton, contamination, disruption of food contamination, disruption of food web, fewer fish to catchweb, fewer fish to catch

It's Happened Before:It's Happened Before:ShellfishShellfish

• The European green crab in New England has destroyed commercial shellfish beds and preys on large numbers of native oysters and crabs

• More than 400 people in Galveston Bay were sickened in 1998 by shellfish that had been contaminated by bacterium never before detected in the U.S. but common in Asia. USDA believes it arrived via ballast water discharge.

It's Happened Before:It's Happened Before:FisheriesFisheries

Decline in Decline in catch catch (tonnes) from (tonnes) from 1984 to 1993 1984 to 1993 due to the due to the introduction introduction of a comb of a comb jelly into the jelly into the Black and Black and Azov SeasAzov Seas

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

1984 1993

Anchovy

Sprat

Horse Mackerel

Start of invasion

Waiting is Not an OptionWaiting is Not an Option

• In SF Bay a new species is In SF Bay a new species is established every 14 weeks, up from established every 14 weeks, up from one every 55 weeks in 1960 one every 55 weeks in 1960

• Ballast water in 14 of the 15 vessels Ballast water in 14 of the 15 vessels sampled entering the Chesapeake sampled entering the Chesapeake Bay contained a strain of cholera Bay contained a strain of cholera never before identified in the U.S. never before identified in the U.S.

Bottom Line:Bottom Line:When Do We Deal with When Do We Deal with

the Invasion?the Invasion?

• 2016—US (under S363)—possibly 2016—US (under S363)—possibly laterlater

• 2016—IMO—probably later2016—IMO—probably later

• 2007—Washington State program2007—Washington State program

Questions?Questions?

Email me: Email me: JerryJoyce@MoonJoyce.comJerryJoyce@MoonJoyce.com

PowerPoint presentation: PowerPoint presentation:

http://www.seattleaudubon.org/sciencehttp://www.seattleaudubon.org/science, click on Invasive Species for a link , click on Invasive Species for a link

to this PowerPoint presentationto this PowerPoint presentation