If you visited one of our many great lakes this summer, you may have noticed overcrowded rocks covered in tiny shells. Or while you were fishing, you may have caught some creepy-looking worms or unnaturally round fish. These are invasive species that have affected our great lakes. While some are small, like the spiny water flea—more than one hundred species are causing extreme damage to our ecosystems. They are destroying predation relationships and causing population sinks, contributing to the overall destruction of our ecosystems.

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It is clear that fish don’t have feet, so how did these invasive species spread throughout the great lakes? One reason is ballast water. Ballast water is used in large ships for balance when traveling. Once ships have delivered their cargo, their center of gravity and balance are unsteady, so to re-balance these huge ships, they fill the bottom up with fresh or seawater. When the ships take-on water, inevitably, some animals and plants will also enter. Later, when the ships reach their home ports, the water is spewed back, carrying many invasive species and unwanted organisms.

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Finally, after decades of invasive species being brought into our valuable ecosystems and disrupting many chains, Canada decided to endorse the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention in 2017. The convention’s mission was about “establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of ships’ ballast water.” It made it mandatory that all ships built after 2017 have management systems even though it was only suggested that they be used.

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There were many flaws with this management plan. Firstly, it only applied to newly built ships after 2017, meaning thousands of others built before didn’t apply. More importantly, the plan failed because it was not implemented properly with clear and direct roles and fines. It was simply a suggestion of standards. We know that humans will often take the easier route, and in this case there was an option not to clean the water and many chose not to. Therefore, while the IMO’s convention helped to decrease the invasive species being brought in, it did not significantly decrease the problem.

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In 2021, the Canadian Government recreated their Ballast Water Regulations. This time, they required ships to have certificates and logs. Along with this, they also extended the Canadian Ballast Water Regulations to apply to all foreign ships in Canadian waters. This plan is still in current effect, and the Government has reported an estimated outcome of 82% reduction of the invasive species in the Great Lakes by 2030. While this statistic seems unattainable in the next few years, the trends have shown an noticeable impact.

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As teenagers and upcoming adults, we have a crucial role in advocating for our environment. While ballast water and invasive species may seem like a distant issue for us, there are still many things we can do. Raising awareness and education is one of the most powerful and strongest tools for change. As teenagers we can join many environmental initiatives or advocation efforts, such as petitions and letters to local representatives. Additionally, there are many volunteer opportunities available, such as the Ontario Invasive Species Awareness Program and even the City of Toronto’s Community Stewardship Program, which teenagers can access and help the community in the fight for our ecosystem’s rights.

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