Introduction - Global Maritime Transport and Ballast Water Management: Issues and Solutions - page 2

General Introduction
The continuous intensifi cation of the globalization of trade and production increased
the demand for new, faster and more frequent linkages among trading and commodity
production areas. These transport demands can only be met by maritime ship-
ping because of its inherent technical and technological advantages and properties.
The shipping industry has reacted to these needs with new and more frequent con-
nections, increased vessels cargo and passenger capacity, and new vessel types and
technologies.
Today global shipping transports over 90 % of the world's overseas trade (IMO
2013 ). Future trends anticipate that global and local shipping play an increasing role
world-wide. Intensifi ed shipping and related developments has also resulted in disas-
ters of unprecedented dimensions. Widely known examples include the Titanic in
1912, Torrey Canyon in 1967, Amoco Cadiz in 1978, Exxon Valdez in 1989, Estonia
1994, Sea Empress in 1996, Erika in 1999, and Prestige in 2003 (David 2007 ). Such
disasters resulted in the loss of human lives, property and/or caused signifi cant dam-
age to coastal ecosystems. In addition another inevitable consequence of shipping
disasters is the pollution of the environment caused by a variety of pollutants.
Apart from harmful effects as consequences of shipping disasters, regular ship-
ping activities cause other negative environment effects, e.g., sea pollution through
the discharges of oily water and sewage from vessels, air pollution from exhaust
gases emitted by the vessel's machinery, pollution of water and marine organisms
by toxic protective underwater hull coatings (anti-fouling paints), and one of the
most recent waterborne threats - the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and
pathogens (HAOP) with ballast water and sediments releases (e.g., Carlton et al.
1990 , 1995 ; Gollasch 1996 ; Ruiz et al. 1997 , 1999 , 2000 ; Carlton 1999 ; Hewitt
2002 ; Hewitt et al. 1999 ; David et al. 2007 ; Nellemann et al. 2008 ). Given its 'mys-
terious' nature in combination with severely harmful effects on the natural environ-
ment, human health and the global economy, the problem has attracted attention of
scientists and the public worldwide, which was particularly advanced in the 1980s
and 1990s due to severe impacts of only a few introduced species.
What is the problem? Vessels need additional weight as a precondition for safe
navigation in cases when they are not carrying cargo or are not fully or equally
laden. The weight adding material is referred to as ballast. Historically, ballast was
solid (e.g., sand, rocks, cobble, iron). With the introduction of iron, replacing wood,
as basic vessel building material in the middle of the nineteenth century, the doors
were opened to new ballasting technologies. Loading of water (i.e., ballast water) in
cargo holds or ballast water tanks has shown to be easier and more time effi cient
compared to solid ballast. Therefore, water as ballast was adopted as a new practice
of increasing importance. Many different types of vessels have different structures
of ballast tanks, as well as different ballast system capacities. Vessels ballast water
operations are related to vessel type, vessel construction, cargo operations and
weather conditions. However, there are no clear limits among all these factors, but
the decision on ballast water operations is under the discretion of the chief offi cer
and direct control of the captain, who is responsible for the vessels stability and