Environmental Engineering Reference
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(both unpublished), suggest >2,000 aquatic non-indigenous species have been
introduced world-wide. The monetary impact caused by these species is diffi cult to
quantify (van den Bergh et al. 2002 ). However, comprehensive studies concluded
that the estimated yearly damage or control costs of introduced aquatic non-indige-
nous species is $14.2 billion in the USA (Pimentel et al. 2005 ) and costs for repair,
management and mitigation measures of such species in Europe was estimated
to more than 1.2 billion Euro annually (Shine et al. 2010 ) (see chapter The Transfer
of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens with Ballast Water and Their Impacts ”).
Following the primary species introduction from, e.g., the coasts of one conti-
nent to another, secondary spread within the recipient continents coastal waters may
occur because introduced species may be further transferred by, e.g., coastal or local
shipping, pleasure craft, fi sheries etc., or may also spread by natural means (e.g.,
Minchin et al. 2005 ; Simkanin et al. 2009 ; Rup et al. 2010 ; Bailey et al. 2011 ;
Darling et al. 2012 ; David et al. 2013 ) thereby increasing their impact (see chapter
The Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens with Ballast Water and
Their Impacts ).
The signifi cance of the ballast water issue was already addressed in a 1973
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution (IMO 1973 ). IMO as the
United Nations specialised agency for the regulation of international maritime
transport at the global scale, was tasked to deal with this issue further. After more
than one decade of intensive and committed work by many experts, scientists, poli-
ticians, IGOs and NGOs at IMO, the fi nal text of the International Convention for
the Control and Management of Ships ' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM
Convention) was completed and adopted in February 2004 at a diplomatic confer-
ence in London (IMO 2004 ; Gollasch et al. 2007 ). The BWM Convention intro-
duced new BWM related requirements for port States and vessels all around the
world. However, the implementation of this Convention is far from being simple.
After the adoption of the BWM Convention several countries and regions have
implemented (voluntary) ballast water management approaches (Gollasch et al.
2007 ; David 2007 ; David and Gollasch 2008 ) (see chapters Policy and Legal
Framework and the Current Status of Ballast Water Management Requirements
and Ballast Water Management Under the Ballast Water Management Convention ”).
Due to global efforts of industry, Member states and IMO, effi cient, fi nancially
feasible, environmentally friendly and safe methods of preventing the translocation
of HAOP via ballast water were developed. More than 30 ballast water management
systems (BWMS) have already been certifi ed (type approved) so that most vessels
can today be equipped with such systems. We are aware that this is a very fast devel-
oping area and market, at least 20 more systems are currently in the certifi cation
process (see chapter Ballast Water Management Systems for Vessels ”).
The BWM Convention is at the moment of this writing not yet in force, but does
today represent a solid and uniform framework for preventive measures to avoid
HAOP introductions and it needs to be implemented by individual countries or joint
approaches. The BWM Convention enters into force 12 months after the date on
which more than 30 states, with combined merchant fl eets not less than 35 % of the
gross tonnage of the world's merchant shipping, have signed this Convention. As of
December 2013, 38 states ratifi ed the BWM Convention, representing 30.38 % of
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