The opening of the New Suez Canal

by Enrique Macpherson

The New Suez Canal was opened on August 6th 2015. The ecological impact can be catastrophic...

In September 2014, one month after the enlargement of the Suez Canal was announced, eighteen scientists published an article in the journal Biological Invasions highlighting the threat of invasive species and calling the expansion “ominous.” The article asked for compliance with United Nations treaties that have jurisdiction over environmental issues in the Mediterranean, and to which Egypt is a signatory.

Lophocladia lallemanii is an invasive red algae species from the Indo-Pacific, present in the Mediterranean Sea. It completely overgrows macroalgal communities and seagrass Posidonia oceanica meadows.

By December, two hundred concerned scientists from twenty-five countries, began a letter writing campaign to environmental groups asking for help approaching authorities to request an environmental risk assessment of the Canal expansion. We wrote, “We recognize that global trade and shipping are vital to society, however, the existing international agreements also recognize the urgent need for sustainable practices that minimize unwanted impacts and long term consequences.”

A single Member of the European Parliament, Ricardo Serrão Santos of Portugal, introduced a statement about the canal on the floor of the Parliament. He said, "I would like to draw your attention to the enlargement of the Suez Canal. This process will increase marine pollution, including more alien species. The expected impact goes far beyond the proposing country and will have implications across the Mediterranean Sea, as indeed has the actual Suez Canal. For this reason I call for a proper environmental impact study that is holistic, comprehensive, deep, international and, more important, consequential." No further action was taken by the Parliament.

Siganus sp. are voraceous herbivorous fishes.

Of the dozens of environmental groups who received the letter, only the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) responded. They wrote to the Directorate-General of the European Commission suggesting mitigation measures and offering technical assistance. “Effective solutions do exist, for example the creation of an environmental barrier to biological invasions using naturally occurring highly saline Bitter Lakes (these lakes reduced the introduction of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean for many decades).” By February, the letter authored by the concerned scientists collected five hundred signatures from forty countries. Still, the international community remained mute.

No response ever came from any group charged with environmental oversight of the Mediterranean. No environmental risk assessment was ever performed. This willful myopia by the bodies whose mission is to protect the sea is putting the Mediterranean at grave risk.

"Especies invasoras: El regalo tóxico de Egipto al Mediterráneo", El Mundo, Ciencia, 21 Aug 2015.
"Ecological worries about Suez Canal extension", BBC, Science in action, 13 Aug 1025.
"Suez, così cambierà la fauna del mare", La Stampa, Opinioni, 7 Aug 2015.
"Raddoppio di Suez, per le specie tropicali sarà un’autostrada per il Mediterraneo", Il Secolo XIX, Mondo, 7 Aug 2015.
"توسيع قناة السويس يوسِّع غزو الكائنات البحرية للبحر المتوسط"
Nature Middle East, 7 Aug 2015.
"Ecologists fear new Suez Canal plays ‘Russian roulette’ with the Mediterranean", Science News, 7 Aug 2015.
"L’expansion du canal de Suez a des effets négatifs sur la diversité biologique de la Méditerranée", Libération, 6 Aug 2015.
"Ecologists concerned over Suez expansion impacts", DW, 6 Aug 2015.
Fish News EU, 5 Aug 2015.
"Enlargement of the Suez Canal: The number of ships is increasing, the number of invasive species too;", Bloom Association, 5 Aug 2015.
"Muschel-Migration im Mittelmeer", Universität Wien, Medienportal, 4 Aug 2015.
"Silence on the Suez", Huffington Post, Science, 8 May 2015.
"Suez Expansion, effects unknown", Nature, News in focus, 1 Jan 2015.
"La invasión que viene de Suez" La Vanguardia, Tendencias, 30 Nov 2014.
"Under the ships in the Suez Canal", The New York Times, Opinion Pages, 12 Nov 2014.

References:
Galil BS, F Boero, ML Campbell, JT Carlton, E Cook, S Fraschetti, S Gollasch, CL Hewitt, A Jelmert, E Macpherson, A Marchini, C McKenzie, D Minchin, A Occhipinti-Ambrogi, H Ojaveer, S Olenin, S Piraino, GM Ruiz. 2015. ‘Double trouble’: the expansion of the Suez Canal and marine bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Sea. Biological Invasions 17: 973-976.

Galil BS, F Boero, ML Campbell, JT Carlton, E Cook, S Fraschetti, S Gollasch, CL Hewitt, A Jelmert, E Macpherson, A Marchini, C McKenzie, D Minchin, A Occhipinti-Ambrogi, H Ojaveer, S Olenin, S Piraino, GM Ruiz. 2015. The Enlargement of the Suez Canal and Introduction of Non‐Indigenous Species to the Mediterranean Sea. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin 24: 41-43.