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Comb jellyfish practically eradicated Baltic Sea anchovy and sprat stocks in the 1990s. (Photo: Erling Svensen,WWF-Canon/ Stock File)
Pest species spreading
 WORLDWIDE
Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 16:50 (GMT + 9)
Failure to enact preventative measures are allowing marine pest species that cause billions of dollars' worth of damage to fisheries, coastal communities and infrastructure to continue to spread in the world's oceans. This is occurring because the world’s fishing countries are neglecting an international treaty’s requirements for consistent handling and treatment of ships’ ballast water.
Delegates from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are meeting in London today to discuss the environmental aspects of shipping and its impact on ecosystems.
The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) latest report called Silent Invasion details 24 cases in which troublesome marine pests were introduced or spread through ships’ ballast water over a period of five years. During this time, only one out of the world’s top 10 shipping states ratified the Convention on the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments.
In this time, the Caspian, North and Baltic Seas have seen ever-larger populations of the North American comb jellyfish crowd their waters. This species practically eradicated the anchovy and sprat stocks in the Baltic Sea in the 1990s.
On both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, the Chinese mitten crab has managed to establish itself and is blamed for damaging river banks, fishing gear and industrial systems. This is costing Germany alone a hefty EUR 80 million (USD 111.5 million).
“The IMO Ballast Water Convention provides the set of agreed practices and standards for effective control of ballast water internationally, minimising the spread of marine invasive organisms while imposing minimal costs upon shipping and trade,” said 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 cleanups of affected ecosystems, industry and infrastructure,” she added.
It is estimated that 7,000 distinct marine and coastal species traverse the world’s oceans daily in ballast tanks. A whopping 84 per cent of the globe’s 232 marine ecoregions have reported the presence of invasive species in their waters.
Most of these animals die within the tanks or shortly after entering foreign waters. However, those that manage to thrive in new ecosystems can produce dire consequences for fisheries and aquaculture, thus adversely impacting coastal communities as well as the environmental health of coastal waters and estuaries.
“The industry needs to act with urgency to respond to this threat,” said 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,” he added.
Global economic losses could reach USD 50 billion due to the spread of invasive species between 2004-9, since the convention’s adoption. Leaving ballast water untreated costs USD 7 billion annually, according to Silent Invasion.
Related articles:
- Parasitic worm rife among eel stocks
- Maritime Alliance to tackle ballast water problems
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member  WWF Norway
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