[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WAYNE T. GILCHREST

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 2005

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague, Representative 
Vernon Ehlers, in introducing a pair of bills that comprehensively 
address the growing problem of aquatic invasive species in the United 
States and its territories. These foreign invaders, from Sea Lamprey in 
the Great Lakes to Asian Carp in the Mississippi to Moon Jellies in the 
Gulf to Rappa Whelk in the Chesapeake Bay to Zebra Mussels across the 
U.S. and hundreds of other plants, fish, and invertebrates, cause 
significant economic and ecological damage throughout North America. In 
recent estimates, invasive species are demonstrated to cost the U.S. at 
least $138 billion per year. Forty-two percent of the species on the 
federal threatened and endangered species lists are negatively impacted 
by invasive species. Once established, invasive species displace native 
species, impede municipal and industrial water systems, degrade 
ecosystems, reduce recreational and commercial fishing opportunities, 
and can cause public health problems.
  Aquatic invasive species are a particular problem because they 
readily spread through interconnected waterways and are difficult to 
treat safely. Hundreds of exotic species arrive in U.S. waters every 
day through a variety of pathways such as ballast water, hull fouling, 
aquaculture and the seafood trade. Without effective federal policies 
to prevent and control these introductions, we willingly surrender our 
valuable resource assets to these invasive species.
  The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2005 (NAISA) will 
address these problems by: (1) Establishing a national mandatory 
ballast water management program, (2) Requiring ships to have an 
Invasive Species Management Plan that outlines ways to minimize 
transfers on a ``whole ship'' basis, (3) Creating a ballast water 
treatment technology certification program, and (4) Including 
incentives for ship owners to install experimental ballast treatment 
technology.
  NAISA would also prevent invasive species introductions from other 
pathways by: (1) Identifying and managing pathways that pose the 
highest risk of introducing invasive species, (2) Creating a screening 
process for planned importations of live aquatic organisms, (3) 
Supporting development and implementation of State Aquatic Invasive 
Species Management Plans, including early detection, screening and 
rapid response activities at state and regional levels, (4) Conducting 
ecological surveys for early detection of invasive species and analysis 
of invasion rates and patterns, (5) Making available federal funding 
and resources for .rapid response to introductions of invasive species, 
(6) Preventing inter-basin transfer of organisms by increasing funding 
and resources for dispersal barrier projects and research, (7) 
Establishing environmental soundness criteria to ensure all prevention 
and control measures enacted do not further harm the environment, (8) 
Creating education and outreach programs to inform the public on 
preventing transfers of invasive species by proper cleaning of 
recreational boats, and proper disposal of nonnative organisms for home 
aquaria, (9) Conducting research on high-risk invasion pathways and 
alternative prevention and control technologies, and (10) Making 
available $170 million in federal funds for aquatic invasive species 
prevention, control, and research.
  Congress has addressed this issue in two past legislative 
initiatives: the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 
Act of 1990 (NANPCA) and its reauthorization as the National Invasive 
Species Act of 1996 (NISA). Spurred by the growing concern over the 
zebra mussel invasion in the Great Lakes, NANPCA created a multi-agency 
task force, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, to address the 
issue of aquatic invaders and empowered the Coast Guard to develop 
guidelines for ballast water management for the Great Lakes. In 1996, 
Congress expanded the ballast water guidelines to a national voluntary 
program to be made mandatory if compliance is not sufficient.

  While these laws made some progress, they have not yet solved the 
problem of aquatic invasive species introductions. For example, the 
national ballast water guidelines have seen low compliance. In 
addition, the only prevention option currently available to ships, 
ballast water exchange, has varying effectiveness that is difficult to 
measure, causes vessel safety concerns, and is not appropriate for 
coastal voyages. Development of new methods of combating transfers of 
organisms from ballast water has been slow due to the lack of a ballast 
water standard and low funding for development of new technology.
  We need improvements in current law. Our bills have been carefully 
researched and subjected to broad stakeholder review, and we believe 
the public and industry stakeholders will support both. We are 
drastically underinvesting in research and efforts to prevent, control, 
and eradicate aquatic invasive species. We don't get a second chance to 
prevent an invasive organism from taking hold in our waters. Our bills 
would make the U.S. proactive in saving its citizens billions of public 
dollars by allowing us to stop future invasions while effectively 
controlling and eradicating current invaders.
  I urge my colleagues to support the National Aquatic Invasive Species 
Act and comprehensive prevention, control, and eradication of invasive 
species in the U.S.

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