The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Chennai port plan to protect marine species

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Chennai port plan to protect marine species

By N. Ravi Kumar

CHENNAI, APRIL 18. The Chennai Port Trust is planning to provide facilities to store and treat ballast water of ships calling at the port, an initiative aimed at protecting marine species and preventing seawater pollution.

The decision is in tune with the recommendations of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments, a diplomatic conference organised in mid-February by the International Maritime Organisation in London.

The conference recommendations are significant in the backdrop of estimates pertaining to transfer of seawater from one location to another by ships.

According to the IMO, "shipping moves over 80 per cent of the world's commodities (cargo) and transfers approximately 3 to 5 billion tonnes (one tonne is equivalent to 1,000 litres) of ballast water internationally each year. A similar volume may also be transferred domestically within countries and regions each year."

Ballast water is considered absolutely essential to the safe and efficient operation of modern shipping, providing balance and stability to un-laden ships.

However, ecologists warn that it may pose a serious threat to ecological, economic and health sectors.

Stating that almost all ships have discarded use of other material, including sandbags, for ballast purposes in favour of water, a senior Chennai Port Trust official said the port was planning for "reception facilities, receptacle and a treatment plant." The size of the facilities would be decided after a study to estimate the quantity of ballast water brought by the ships.

Worldwide, the ships follow two systems to discharge the ballast water — `overflow' and `sequential.' While one involves emptying all the contents at the port of call, in the other the water is replaced a few times during journey.

Researchers have identified introduction of invasive marine species into new environment through the ballast water and vectors as one of the four greatest threats to the world's oceans. Land-based sources of marine pollution; overexploitation of living marine resources; and physical alteration of marine habitat are the other three threats.

Moreover, marine species confine themselves to certain geographical limits depending on their ability to withstand the temperature and pass through natural barriers such as landmasses.

The ballast tanks are estimated to be carriers of at least 7,000 different species, though a vast majority of them do not survive the journey.

The first set of guidelines pertaining to ballast water was originally developed by the IMO member-countries in 1993. This was replaced by the "guidelines for the control and management of ships" ballast water in 1997.

The recent London convention expanded the guidelines and recommended setting up of reception facilities to ensure that the ports and terminals where cleaning or repair of ballast tanks occurs have adequate facilities to handle the sediments.

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