"Our best shot at stopping invading species is to attack them before they attack us," said Senator Collins. "For the first time, this bill would establish a national monitoring network and rapid response system to quickly detect and attack newly introduced species. It is my hope that this bill will help prevent the next wave of invasive species from taking hold and decimating industries in Maine and throughout the country."
Maine and other states have enacted laws and devoted funding to prevent the spread of invasive species, but state-by-state efforts are frequently unable to stop species that don't respect state boundaries. The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2002 puts into place uniform, mandatory provisions to treat invasive species transported by ships and creates guidelines for screening importations of potentially harmful species. Within 18 months of enactment, all ships that enter U.S. waters after operating outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone must either exchange ballast water prior to entering U.S. waters or carry out a ballast treatment program.
"Maine and many other states have attempted to fight back," said Senator Collins. "Unfortunately our efforts have had limited success. As with national security, protecting the security of our lakes, streams, and coastlines from invading species cannot be accomplished by the states alone.
"Variable leaf milfoil, which already has entered Maine, crowds out native species. Invasive Asian shore crabs have taken over Southern New England's tide pools and just last year began to advance into Maine, to the potential detriment of Maine's lobster and clam industries." –More-- Invasive plants can alter the function of a habitat making it less suitable for native plants and animals. Invasive plants can be introduced a number of ways including transport from the bottom of a boat or boat trailer, improper disposal of aquarium plants or animals, and the release of organisms from the ballast water of ships and hull surfaces.