Projects / Programmes
Harmful introductions and ballast water management in Slovenian sea
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.19.01 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Traffic systems |
Traffic technics and technology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T300 |
Technological sciences |
Water transport technology |
ballast water, nonindigenous species, harmful species, management, Slovenian sea, Port of Koper
Researchers (11)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Ballast waters are indispensable for the ships safety when sailing at sea. Ballast waters loaded on the ship in one part of the world, and then discharged in another, may contain nonindigenous (alien) and/or harmful marine organisms. Till today there are many documented cases in the world, whose consequences are: harmful impacts on human health (cholera, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) - human death cases.), harmful impacts on marine environment (the inpoverishement of biodiversity and the decrease of the abundance of autochtonus marine species.) and economy losses counted in billions of dollars (shellfish industry, fishery.).
Ship`s ballast waters have been recognized by many international organizations as a vector of non-indigenous and/or harmful organisms introductions. For further regulation of this problem International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued guidelines for preventing transfer of harmful organisms and pathogens - Assembly resolution A.868(20), and for the year 2002/2003 is planning to adopt legally binding rules in the form of a new convention. For their own protection some countries implemented IMO guidelines or introduced their own legislation.
Ports in Northern Adriatic are involved in the international (intercontinental) maritime traffic and among them is the Port of Koper. In this region ballast waters are released from ships without any survey. On the basis of researches carried out in the world we place hypothesis, that nonindigenous and other potentially harmful organisms are present in the ballast waters released from ships in the Port of Koper.
In the last ten years, especially in the last few years, this problem is achieving greater dimensions in the world. At the same time we must not forget the specificity of Slovenian environment in the meaning of the natural environment, organizational aspects of the parties involved in the marine traffic, legislative aspects and other.
Based on this, the main aims of the research project are:
- research of the extent of this phenomenon in the Slovenian sea with the emphasis on the Port of Koper and
- propose guidelines for the prevention of harmful introductions, according to international and Slovenian legislation and organization of the parties involved in maritime traffic in Slovenia.
