Inland Fisheries

9.1.5.1 Inadvertent (Accidental) Introductions

For aquatic invaders the route of accidental introduction is most often the ballast water carried by transoceanic cruise ships. Ballast water had been reportedly the major pathway of non indigenous species that have become established in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. It is the most dominant mode of dispersal for a wide variety of aquatic organisms ranging from ciliates to fish. Although ballast transport may not be a significant source of exotic fish introductions, non indigenous zooplankton could adversely affect native fish directly by altering trophic dynamics of the invaded water bodies.