Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Agreements reached on a global level usually represent a compromise, and the
BWM Convention is not an exception. During the BWM Convention and over the
BWM Convention's Guidelines negotiations many issues were controversial and
in certain cases it proved extremely hard and diffi cult to reach agreements. In
order to explain all the concepts, controversial views and agreements reached in
its entirety a separate topic of its own would be needed. Therefore, the focus of
this chapter will remain with the requirements of the BWM Convention, as well
as the availability and feasibility of ballast water management (BWM) options.
Compliance control measures are also found to be closely related to the BWM
requirements and options, hence these are presented in chapters
“
Ballast Water
What Is Ballast Water Management?
As defi ned at IMO: “Ballast Water Management means mechanical, physical,
chemical, and biological processes, either singularly or in combination, to remove,
render harmless, or avoid the uptake or discharge of Harmful Aquatic Organisms
and Pathogens within Ballast Water and Sediments.”
BWM in its core sense means the prevention, minimization and ultimate elimina-
tion of the transfer of HAOP via vessels' ballast waters and sediments. In light of
this, BWM cannot only be understood as mechanical, physical, chemical, and bio-
logical processes preventing the transfer of HAOP, because the process includes
also different precautionary measures to minimize the uptake of HAOP and sediments.
Those include the avoidance of ballast water uptake, where practicable,
•
in areas identifi ed by the port State in connection with advice provided by ports;
•
in darkness when the organism concentration in upper water layers increases;
•
in areas with outbreaks, infestations or known populations of HAOPs;
•
in very shallow water because it is more likely to pump in bottom living organisms;
•
where propellers may stir up sediment;
•
where dredging is or recently has been carried out; and
•
nearby sewage outfalls.
Furthermore, no mixing of ballast water should occur and additional manage-
ment practices may apply, e.g., risk assessment (RA) (see chapter
“
Risk Assessment
in Ballast Water Management
”
), decision support system (see chapter
“
Ballast
Water Management Decision Support System
”
). Hence BWM should be under-
stood as a complex, multi-facetted process of all precautionary measures, preventive
and treatment procedures, as well as additional measures taken to prevent, minimize
and ultimately eliminate the transfer of HAOP via ballast water and sediments.
Vessels should also, whenever possible, implement precautionary practices, i.e.,
avoid the unnecessary discharge of ballast water. Should it be necessary to take on
and discharge ballast water in the same port to facilitate safe cargo operations,
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