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Treating ballast water is not as simple as it seems. UV light treatments and microwave treatments have both been shown to be effective, however both can also be cost/time prohibitive to shipping companies that are already feeling the heat of a stressed economy. Passing legislation making treatment mandatory is a whole different ball of wax.
The invasive species that are already in a new environment are likely to be there forever. Once an invasion has occurred, it's sadly too late. The key then becomes early detection and monitoring to stop the spread to other others.
Organizations like Sea Grant and the Great Lakes Commission are working hard to come up with solutions to this difficult social-political-economical-environmental problem.
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