Why this problem is very important?
According to the GloBallast partnership organization ships’ ballast water can be identified as the fourth major threats for the world’s ocean and its biodiversity. Ahead are only land-based sources of marine pollution, overexploitation of living marine resources and physical alteration/destruction of marine habitat.
Every year around 3-5 billion tonnes of water is transported in the hulls of the ships. Presnted figures show ballast tanks and water cycle while loading and discharching the ship.
This results in the transportation of not only water, but also invasive marine species introduced to new environments and affecting their bio systems. On the one hand, the solution for the problem lies in proper water filtration. In 2004 the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) was adopted: “The Ballast Water Management Convention aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of ships' ballast water and sediments.” It states that ships are required to have proper certificate which states that they are being surveyed regarding ballast water quality. Ships can be inspected by state control officers, who can verify the validation of the certificate, inspect the Ballast Water Record Book or sample the ballast water.
However, all these actions take a lot of time that ships do not usually have in the harbour. Moreover, evaluation of water tank quality is also quite long process. Therefore, despite the measures that have already been taken, the ballast water is still a problem that has to be solved, maybe using new technologies. This results in the transportation of not only water, but also invasive marine species introduced to new environments and affecting their bio systems. On the one hand, the solution for the problem lies in proper water filtration. In 2004 the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) was adopted: “The Ballast Water Management Convention aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of ships' ballast water and sediments.” It states that ships are required to have proper certificate which states that they are being surveyed regarding ballast water quality. Ships can be inspected by state control officers, who can verify the validation of the certificate, inspect the Ballast Water Record Book or sample the ballast water.
Sources:
1.http://globallast.imo.org/problem.htm
2. http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/ListOfConventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the-Control-and-Management-of-Ships'-Ballast-Water-and-Sediments-(BWM).aspx
