St. Lawrence Seaway traffic up 15% in 2010

St. Lawrence Seaway traffic up 15% in 2010    The St. Lawrence Seaway said ships passing through it moved 35.5 million tons in the 2010 navigation season that ended Dec. 29, 15 percent more than in 2009.
   Iron ore shipments rose 35 percent, grain was up 10 percent, and general cargo up 63 percent. General cargo consisted principally of iron and steel breakbulk shipments and project cargo such as wind turbine components.
   'With a recovery in the manufacturing sector, characterized by a resurgent domestic auto assembly business, the level of activity in the iron ore trade broke out of the starting gate at a brisk pace in 2010,' said Terence Bowles, newly appointed president and chief executive officer of Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., which administers and promotes the seaway with its U.S. counterpart. 'We are optimistic of what we may experience in 2011, as economic growth continues to regain strength.'
   The corporation said a decision by Canada to repeal the 25 percent duty on imported vessels “ushered in a new era of fleet renewal. Domestic marine carriers are gearing up to renew parts of their fleets. Algoma Central Corp. and the CSL Group have recently announced the purchase of new vessels designed for commerce within the Seaway-Great Lakes. The advent of new vessels will serve to further extend the marine mode's advantage in energy efficiency within the transportation sector, and enhance its low carbon footprint.
   'The application of salt water flushing is clearly having the desired impact in mitigating the introduction of new species,' said Terry Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. 'The efficacy of salt water flushing, while not a final solution, is sufficient in scope to warrant the re-examination of ballast water management initiatives, and we are encouraged by the recent actions undertaken by the State of Wisconsin to recognize IMO standards.'
   A joint statement from the two Seaway authorities said that with a 100 percent inspection rate concerning ocean vessels entering the seaway, no new species attributable to ballast water carried by ocean vessels have been detected since 2006.
   The Seaway navigation season for 2010 spanned 280 days.