Globally, invasive species costs to the environment, agriculture, and societies – including control costs – are estimated to be $1.4 trillion – the equivalent of five percent of the global economy and seven times the cost of natural disasters. Invasive species are non-native species that have been introduced to an ecosystem by human activity. According to Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, invasive species thrive in the absence of their native predators and have the potential to drastically alter habitat, rendering it inhospitable for native species. In order to put an end to the introduction of invasive species into our province’s environment, and address the impending problem associated with Asian carp, Ontario proposed and Invasive Species Act on February 26. If passed, the act will be our nation’s first stand-alone invasive species legislation. David Orazietti, Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources, has been quoted stating “Currently Ontario relies on a patchwork of more than 20 federal and provincial acts. None of them was designed specifically to deal with invasive species or their impact on our economy and natural environment.”
The proposed invasive species act would give Ontario the tools to ban activities such as possessing and transporting certain high-risk invasive species, enable rapid response actions to address urgent threats, and would ensure compliance through modernized inspection and enforcement measures. Included in the enforcement measures will be penalties, and the allowance for inspectors to take samples as well as give them the power to stop the movement of invasive species.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has voiced concerns that the bill will put too much emphasis on how to deal with invasive species after they have already settled in. It should also be noted that the federal government also has provisions in place to control invasive species. The Ministry of Natural Resources has responsibility for monitoring the advance of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, and ensuring the fish is not transported into Ontario. The Canadian Food Inspection agency has also been involved in the fight against invasive species – most notably the ash borer beetle – and has the authority to ban the movement of certain firewood from one part of Ontario to another.
Ontario deals with hundreds of invaders, most of which are found in southern Ontario. Some land based invaders include the European reed, mountain pine beetle, ash borer beetle, and longhorn beetle. With its vast freshwater resources, Ontario is also highly susceptible to aquatic invasive species. Some examples of aquatic invasive species in Canada include sea lampreys, zebra mussels, and Asian carp, to name a few.
Sea lampreys are a primitive fish that feeds on the bodily fluids of other fish by goring through the scales and skin of those fish with their tongue; a control program was put into place in 1955 to reduce their population, but not before they played a role in the collapse of the Lake trout and Whitefish fisheries in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Zebra mussels are small freshwater molluscs that have spread rapidly in Canada and the United States since being introduced in the 1980’s via ballast from transoceanic vessels. These mussels cause millions of dollar in damage annually to human infrastructure as they can colonize on almost any surface; in addition to this their feeding causes an increase in water clarity, which increases light penetration and leads to excessive vegetation growth. Finally, there is the Asian carp, which was the driving force behind the introduction of the Invasive Species Act. These fish will compete for food with indigenous species and prey on their larvae. On top of this and the habitat damage that they cause, these fish also have a tendency to jump out of the water posing a threat to recreational boaters and water skiers because they can grow to a weight of 100 pounds.
If passed, this Act will serve to not only protect Ontario’s ecosystems, but also potentially save the province millions in yearly costs associated with eradicating invasive species and attempting to repair the damages that they cause. It is rare that the environment and the economy have an opportunity to benefit from the same piece of legislation, but this proposed Act has the potential to do just that.
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