GUIDELINES FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OFSHIPS'BALLAST WATER TO MINMIZE THE TRANSFER HARMFUL AQUATIC ORGANISMS AND PATHOGENS
A20/Res.868
Infroduction
1.1 Studies carried out in several countries have shown that many species of baderia, plants, and animals can survive in a viable form in the ballast water md sediment carried in ships, even after journeys of several months' duration Subsequent discharge of ballast water or sediment into the waters of port Sares may resuh in the establisbmem ofharmful aquatic organisms and pathogens which may pose threas to indigenou human, animal and plant life, and the marine environment Although other media have been idemtifed as being responsible for tramsferring orgznisms between geographically separated water bodies, ballast water discharge fom ships appears to have been among the most prominent.
1.2 The potential for ballas waer dischxge to cause harm has been recognised not only by the International Maritime Organization but also by the World Health Organization, which is concerned about the role of ballast water as a medium for the spreading of epidemic disease bacteria
1.3 These Guidelines are not to be regarded as a certain solution to the problem. Rather, each part of them should be viewed as a tool which, if correctly applied, will help 19 rninimize the risks associated with ballas waer discharge. As scientifc md technological advances are made, the Guidelines will be refned to emable the risk to be more adeq,,qely addressed. In the interim, port States, glag States and other parties that ca assist in mitigating this problem should gxercise due care and diligence in an effort to conform to the maximum extent possible with the Guidelines.
1.4 The selection of appropriate methods of risk minjmization will depend upon several fadors, including the type or types of organisms being targeted, the level of risk involved, its environmental acceptability, the economic and ecological costs involved and the safety of ships.
2 Definitions
For the purposes of these Guidelines, the following defnitions apply:
Administrotion means the Govgrnment of the State under whose authority the ship is operating.
Convention means MARPOL 73/78 (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution fomShips, 1973, and the Protocol of 1978 related thereto).
Member Stotes meanq Stales hat are Members of the lntemational Maritime Organization.
Organization means the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Port Stote authority means amy official or organiqation authorized by the Govemment of a port StaIe to adminjfter guidelines or enforce stmdards and regulations relevant to the implementation of national and international shipping comtrol measures.
Treotment means a process or mechanical physical chemical or biological metbod to kill, removeor render infertile, harmful or potemtially harmful organisms within ballast water.
3 Application
The Guidelines are directed to Member States md can apply to all ships; however, a port stale authority shall detrrnine the extent to which they do apply.
