NOAA 96-R073
Contact: Catherine Anderson, NOAA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Janet Tennyson, U.S. FWS 10/29/96
A bill signed by President Clinton on Saturday will enact measures to combat the growing nationwide problem of invasions by non-native aquatic species and imported waterborne viruses, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced. The National Invasive Species Act calls for a more widespread effort in looking for ways to prevent and control the increasing number of invasions by non-native species and actively promotes more national research. These amendments to the original Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Prevention and Control Act of 1990 will authorize $29 million annually for nonindigenous species efforts, including $2 million for nationwide ecological and ballast discharge surveys. On a regional level, the bill authorizes $750,000 for research in the highly infested San Francisco Bay and Estuary, and $500,000 for Pacific Coast research.. Invasive aquatic species, including fish, plants, shellfish, plankton or other marine organisms, enter into a body of water or coastal ecosystem outside of their native range. Often carried in the water that ships use to maintain their stability, these nuisance species have already created extensive economic and ecological damage in U.S. waters. Under the act, a mandated 18-month ballast water management demonstration program will be overseen by the departments of Commerce and Interior.. "The release of ballast water is now acknowledged to be the most common way non-native species are unintentionally introduced into coastal U.S. waters," said Al Beeton, acting NOAA chief scientist and former director of NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Zebra mussels, which have caused millions of dollars of damage to physical property and fisheries in the Great Lakes region, were introduced after foreign ships released ballast water containing the tiny mollusks into the lakes.. Created by the 1990 act, in partial response to the Great Lakes zebra mussel infestation, an intergovernmental Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force oversees and develops programs to prevent, research, monitor, control and educate citizens about aquatic nuisance species. The task force is co-chaired by NOAA and the Fish and Wildlife Service and includes representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. EPA, and departments of Army, Agriculture and State. The revised act appoints a new representative from the San Francisco Estuary Project and has seven ex-officio members representing non-federal governmental groups.. "Funding Pacific coast research and research in the San Francisco Bay is a positive step toward responding to increasing ANS invasions in marine and coastal areas," said Sally Yozell, Commerce deputy assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA's co-chair of the interagency ANS task force. "The problem has now become a national one, with commerci al fisheries on both coasts threatened by non-native species and imported viruses.". "The new ballast water program and additional funding for research will help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners combat widespread introductions of non-native species, which cause major economic losses and wreak havoc on the biological balance of ecosystems," said Gary Edwards, Assistant Service Director-Fisheries and co-chair of the interagency ANS task force.. A national Forum on Coastal and Marine ANS, organized by NOAA to examine the growing threat of marine invasions, will take place on Nov. 13, 1996, as part of the fall ANS task force meeting at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. San Francisco was deemed the "most invaded aquatic ecosystem in North America," based on a survey funded by the U.S. FWS that found a dramatic introduction rate of one new non-native species every three months in recent years. ### More information on Nonindigenous Aquatic Species, the 1990 act, National Task Force or related research across the nation can be found on the World Wide Web at:http://nas.er.usgs.gov To see the National Invasive Species Act in its entirety, please cite Public Law 104-332. NOTE: All NOAA press releases, and links to other NOAA material, can be found on the Internet at http://www.noaa.gov/public-affairs . Journalists who wish to be added to our press release distribution list, or who wish to switch from fax to e-mail delivery, can send an e-mail to releases@www.rdc.noaa.gov , or fax to (202) 482-3154. NOAA constituents can send an e-mail to constaff@www.rdc.noaa.gov , or fax to (202) 501-2953.