This section should give a short
introduction to the background of
ballast water management international
shipping has been identified as one of
the key pathways for the movement of
species between differing echo systems
organisms and pathogens found in ballast
water and sediments in ballast tanks
have had significant economic and
ecological impact on marine biodiversity
in many regions they can also pose a
threat to human health from the spread
of diseases and species harmful to
humans unlike some forms of ships
sourced environmental harm the problem
arises from an activity inherent to the
ship's operation currently there are no
entirely satisfactory means of
preventing the transfer of species in
ballast water open sea ballast water
exchange management techniques have
raised some concerns about vessel and
crew safety and the limits of its
environmental effectiveness in the
future changes in vessel and ballast
tank design and other technological
developments may effectively address
these concerns
until then we all have to do everything
possible to minimize the risks in 1973
IMO passed a resolution about research
into the effect of discharge of ballast
water containing bacteria of epidemic
diseases in the late nineteen eighties
and early nineteen nineties a number of
IMO Member States presented case study
research and argue for international
rules on this issue in 1991 non-binding
rules entitled guidelines for preventing
the introduction of unwanted organisms
and pathogens from ships ballast waters
and sediment discharges were adopted
these were further developed and adopted
in 1993 by the IMO assembly in 1994 a
working group began to examine the
possibility of legally binding
regulations that tried to address the
ship and human safety issues in 1997 the
IMO assembly adopted a resolution a86
820 which revise the earlier guidelines
in 2004 the IMO assembly revised
resolution a86 820 and adopted it as a
convention the IMO resolution a86 820
requires all officers and crew involved
in ballast water management to receive
proper training I this cbt all ships to
minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic
organisms and pathogens all ships to
develop and follow a ballast water
management plan all ships to record all
ballast operations
and
the correct definition of ballast water
management is to deal with treatment
defined as a process or mechanical
physical chemical or biological method
to kill remove or rendered infertile
I'll harmful or potentially harmful
organisms within ballast water ballast
water management involves precautionary
water uptake practices and either
mid-ocean exchange use of alternative
discharge zones retention of ballast
water and use of reception facilities or
another approved method