Great Lakes Ecosystem Improving in Some Ways, but Many Concerns Remain

TORONTO (CP) – The health of the Great Lakes ecosystem is improving in some ways, but there remain many areas of troubling concern, says a new report by Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

While the Great Lakes continue to be a good source for treated drinking water, and toxic chemicals in the water have been significantly reduced, concerns about the impacts of population growth, climate change and invasive species are on the rise.

The report says more than 300 invasive or non-native species now thrive in the Great Lakes basin – and their destructive, parasitic behaviours are getting worse.

“The entry of non-native species … in the Great Lakes, that’s a huge concern, (especially) how they compete with our native species and in some cases, may replace them or drive them out of certain habitats,” Nancy Stadler-Salt of Environment Canada said Monday.

“And once they’re here, they’re probably next to impossible to eradicate – it’s just learning how to control them.”

Many invasive species get into the Great Lakes basin from the ballast water of cargo ships from all over the world.

Business is becoming increasing globalized, and the Great Lakes region happens to be a major trade centre, Stadler-Salt said.

The report also says shorter winters, higher annual temperatures and extreme heat events are likely to affect ice cover on the lakes, which has already been declining.

An altered climate and lower water levels would also continue to force wildlife from their natural habitats.