Jean R S Vitule, Carolina A Freire and Daniel Simberloff

Certainly, not all fish introductions have catastrophic consequences, but many do. Knowledge about problems that may arise from biological invasions into aquatic systems is growing rapidly, but invasion biology is still a new science. However, we can expect to understand older impacts and to detect new ones in the near future. Still, aside from the potential ecological problems (and the many that have already been demonstrated) that occur in the short-term, we may be causing changes that will be perceived only in the longterm (for instance, in evolutionary time), at a global scale (see Rahel 2000). As these consequences are still largely unpredictable, a precautionary approach is the best option. (more…)

Polluter Pays

By Dr Jim Cambray (March 23, 2009)

When most people see the phrase “Polluter Pays” we think of industries pumping toxic chemicals into aquatic ecosystems. We must revisit this impression. Many toxic spills (but not all) are once off leaks caused by poor management or equipment failure. If the toxic waste gets into a river system it may be flushed along the system killing aquatic organisms until it is diluted enough to not be lethal to living organisms. This is quite easy to comprehend and yes the polluter must pay and due to the nature of the spill its chemical makeup can be traced back to a specific source. (more…)