Smivs writes "US researchers say they have developed an effective way to
kill unwanted plants and animals
that hitch a ride in the ballast waters of cargo vessels.
Tests showed that a continuous microwave system was able to remove all marine life within the water tanks.
The UN lists "invasive species" dispersed by ballast water discharges as one of the four main threats to the world's marine ecosystems.
Shipping moves more than 80% of the world's commodities and transfers up to five billion tonnes of ballast water internationally each year, data from the UN shows. The UN-led Global Ballast Water Management Programme (GloBallast) estimates that at least 7,000 species are able to be carried across the globe in ships' ballast tanks.
While many of these plants and creatures do not survive the journey, some find the new environment favourable enough to establish a reproductive population and go on to undermine native species.
For example European zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have infested more than 40% of the US's inland waterways.
Between 1989 and 2000, up to $1bn (£500m) is estimated to have been spent on controlling the spread of the alien invader."
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How cruel (Score:2)
Wouldn't a screen be cheaper? (Score:2)