Posted
on 13 July 2009 - London, UK - Marine
pest species costing billions in damage
to fisheries, coastal communities and infrastructure
are spreading as the world’s shipping nations
continue to largely neglect bringing into
effect an international treaty setting out
requirements for consistent handling and
treatment of ships’ ballast water.
Silent Invasion, a new
report issued by WWF as International Maritime
Organization (IMO) delegates meet to consider
environmental aspects of shipping in London
today, details 24 cases where significant
marine pests were most likely introduced
or spread through discharges of ships ballast
water during the five years in which the
Convention on the Control and Management
of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments was
ratified by only one of the world’s top
ten shipping states.
In that time, the North
American comb jellyfish that virtually wiped
out the anchovy and sprat stocks in the
Black Sea in the 11000s has been expanding
in the Caspian Sea, North Sea and the Baltic
Sea.
The Chinese mitten crab
has established itself on both sides of
the north Atlantic and is estimated to have
caused damage to river banks, fishing gear
and industrial water systems to the tune
of €80 million in Germany alone.
“The IMO Ballast Water
Convention provides the set of agreed practices
and standards for effective control of ballast
water internationally, minimizing the spread
of marine invasive organisms while imposing
minimal costs upon shipping and trade,”.
said Dr Anita Mäkinen, WWF’s head of
delegation to the IMO meeting.
“Responsible flag states
must urgently ratify and implement the Convention
to effectively halt marine pest invasions
from ballast water – in the long run saving
tax payers’ money by avoiding clean ups
of affected ecosystems, industry and infrastructure,”
An estimated 7,000 marine and coastal species
travel across the world’s oceans every day
in ballast tanks and 84% of the world’s
232 marine ecoregions have reported findings
of invasive species.
International shipping
is considered the main introduction pathway
for many pest organisms, unwanted passengers
on the voyages that shift approximately
90% of all internationally traded goods.
The vast majority of
these travellers perish in the harsh conditions
of the ballast tanks or shortly after entering
their new habitat, but the hardy species
that flourish in new environments can affect
the productivity of fisheries and aquaculture,
the economy and livelihoods of communities
and the environmental health of coastal
waters and estuaries.
Key elements of the
global shipping industry are also clamouring
for the introduction into force of the convention,
as an alternative to ad hoc measures that
vary from state to state and involve additional
expenses, delays and possible jeopardy to
crew and vessel safety.
“The industry needs
to act with urgency to respond to this threat,”
said Mr Arild Iversen, CEO of Wallenius
Wilhelmsen Logistics. “What is needed are
the framework conditions to support a global
level playing field for owners and operators
to implement technologies that are for the
most part already available.
“The IMO Ballast Water
Convention is the appropriate mechanism
for this to happen.”
It is estimated that
since the adoption of the convention in
2004, and until the end of 2009, global
economic losses attributed to the spread
of invasive marine organisms could be some
US$50 billion.
According to Silent
Invasion, not treating ballast waters imposes
marine pest associated direct costs equivalent
to about 70 US cents per tonne of untreated
water – or US$ 7 billion per year for the
ten billion tonnes of water transported
globally each year.
A wide roll-out of water
treatment methods facilitated by the entry
into force of the Convention could lower
costs to only 4 US cents per tonne of treated
water - less than 6% of the annual costs
of not addressing the issue of the damaging
spread of marine pests.
The Convention comes
into effect when ratified by 30 states representing
35% of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage.
At this time, the figure stands at 18 states
representing 15.4% of the world’s tonnage,
with Liberia the only large flag state having
ratified.
However, if the world’s
largest shipping nation, Panama, signs the
convention, with 22.6% of world shipping
tonnage, along with additional 11 flag states
of any size, the Convention will enter into
force, providing the international framework
the shipping industry and governments need
to help stem the tide of invasions and take
steps to minimise the threats.
“The old argument that
technologies and treatments were not available
is now obsolete,” said Dr Mäkinen.
“Panama as the world’s
premier shipping nation should take the
lead in ratifying and implementing the IMO
Ballast Water Convention.”
