Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.
Volume 14, Number 4 • FAll 2006
Lake Erie
Basin Update - Ontario Side
Reducing the Transfer and Introduction of
Invasive Species in Lake Erie
By Cherish Elwell, Niagara Restoration Council
As of January 1, 2007, commercial
bait harvesters on lakes Erie and
Simcoe must complete a Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) training program, and
produce an approved HACCP plan on
preventing the spread of invasive
species to receive their annual
licence. These training courses will be held by the Bait
Association of Ontario (BAO) with help from the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and the Ontario
Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).
Designed to reduce the risk of transferring non-target species
through baitfish operations, these programs provide
harvesters with a systematic approach to identifying and
controlling hazards in their operations that could potentially
result in the spread of invasive species. The revised one-day
course will now have bait harvesters completing a hazard
control plan before their departure. This plan will then be
forwarded by the harvester to their district OMNR office for
approval. All plans require harvesters to maintain records that
will be monitored by district staff to ensure the plans are
implemented and maintained.
Lakes Erie and Simcoe were identified by the OMNR as being
high-risk areas because of the number of commercial harvesters
in these areas, the nature of the invasive species that have been
documented in these areas, and the distribution range for bait
harvested in both of these areas. Currently, there are 24 licensed
commercial bait harvesters on Lake Erie, and many harvesters
ship bait to areas north of the Lake Erie watershed, increasing
the risk of transfer. This new condition is one of many that have
been put into place in recent years as the number of introduced
species (the majority introduced by the dumping of ballast
waters from ocean going vessels) and their ranges, expand.
Aside from adhering to current bait harvesting regulations as
per the provincial fishing regulations, which include restrictions
on harvesting methods and equipment as well as a leech ban,
Lake Erie bait harvesters could face future restrictions on the
harvesting of crayfish and frogs (These EBR postings are closed
for comment but can be viewed at www.ene.gov.on.ca, posting
number PB06E6006 and XB05E6804.)
The Bait Association of Ontario, the OMNR, and the OFAH have
been working closely with Lake Erie’s commercial bait harvesters
to reduce the transfer of invasive species. Despite these efforts,
all parties were dealt a recent blow from the federal government’s
proposed amendments to ballast water regulations.
Under past regulations, ships containing no ballast on board
(NOBOB’s) were not required to perform a ballast exchange.
Studies have shown that vessels designated as NOBOB’s still run
the risk of introducing invasive species through residual
sediment and water contained in ballast tanks, and ballast
exchanges minimize the risk of new introductions.
Following a public comment period in the summer of 2005, the
Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations came into
effect in June 2006. The new regulations do address vessels
designated as NOBOB’s, however, the regulation provides these
vessels with the choice to either exchange ballast OR partake in
listed “best management practices,” which include a ballast
exchange whenever practical. When time and money are an
issue, many wonder if operators would ever see a ballast
exchange as being “practical.”
The new ballast water regulations can be viewed at
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2005/20050611/html/
regle6-e.html. The Ontario Minister of Natural Resources, David
Ramsay, stated his concern with the regulations in a recent press
conference in August. He has requested a meeting with the
Minister of Transport, Lawrence Cannon, to discuss the potential
to change a single word in the regulations that would remove
the choice currently available to captains of NOBOB vessels, and
result in a requirement for all vessels to conduct a ballast
exchange before entering the Great Lakes.
For more information:
Niagara Restoration Council
250 Thorold Rd.W. 3rd Floor
Welland, ON L3C 3W2
PH: (905) 788-0248 • E-mail: niagararestoration@becon.org
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