Policy and Legal Framework and the Current Status of Ballast Water Management Requirements - Global Maritime Transport and Ballast Water Management: Issues and Solutions - page 80

Black Sea
As a result of activities during the fi rst GloBallast Programme 26 and as recom-
mended by the Black Sea conferences on ballast water control and management a
Regional Ballast Water Task Force was established to minimize the transfer of
harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships' ballast water.
In 2008, at an OSCE International Expert Conference on the Safety of Navigation
and Environmental Security in a Transboundary Context in the Black Sea Basin,
which was held in Odessa, one session dealt with BWM. Although best efforts were
made to agree on a regional approach, it became clear that the Black Sea countries
have divided positions regarding BWM requirements. Further, already existing
national BWM requirements vary substantially within the Black Sea countries, i.e.
a harmonized and agreed upon uniform approach is lacking (Kideys 2008 ).
The Black Sea countries BWM requirements include:
• Ballast water reporting, follow the IMO Assembly Resolution 868(20) which
contains a Ballast Water Reporting Form. This is required by Bulgaria, Georgia,
Turkey and Ukraine;
• Ballast water reception facilities are available in the Georgian Ports of Batumi
and Poti, but it remains unclear if these are only in use for ballast water carried
in empty cargo holds of oil tankers, i.e. oil-contaminated ballast water;
• A BWM scenario and requirements for BWE of ballast water originating outside
the Black Sea are implemented in Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine and the Russian
Federation (Bashtannyy et al. 2001 ; Georgian Ballast Water Decree 2002 ,
Velikova personal communication);
• Georgia accepts also releases of treated ballast water (Lloyds Register 2011 );
• Ballast water is monitored for chemical contamination in the Russian port
Novorossiysk (BSC 2007 ) and non-compliance with the BWE requirements in
place for this port (Lloyds Register 2011 ) may cause delay and/or penalties; and
• Ukraine prohibits vessels to enter their territorial waters with unexchanged
ballast water (Aquatic Code of the Ukraine 1995 ; Berdnikov 2008 ). Further,
Ukrainian authorities sample ballast water to assess possible chemical contamina-
tion and ballast water discharge fees apply when sampling results proof chemical
contamination above certain limits (Beken et al. 2007 , Velikova personal
communication, Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine 2002 ). Ballast water needs to be
exchanged and treated prior discharge (Lloyds Register 2011 ).
A BWM strategy is under development by Turkish authorities and Bulgaria
works towards regional cooperation concerning the designation of a BWE area
(Kideys 2008 ). All Black Sea countries are planning to harmonize procedures on a
regional level, but funding is critical (Velikova personal communication, Bashtannyy
et al. 2001 ; BSC 2007 ; Kideys 2008 ; Matheickal 2008 ). BWM was also incorpo-
rated in the revised Strategic Action Plan of the Black Sea which was adopted at a
ministerial meeting in 2008 (Velikova personal communication).
26 http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=reports/report1.htm , last accessed 02.04.2013.