With this objective and concern, the International Maritime Organization and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program have organized a regional meet in Suva for Pacific Island countries to address the issue.
Dr. Jose Matheickal from IMO said the focus was on the movement of ships in and out of Pacific waters because ballast water carried in ships were responsible for introducing invasive species in the water, such as fish invertebrates, algae and plants.
Ballast water is usually carried in unladen ships to provide stability. It is taken on board at the port before the voyage begins and tiny stowaways, in the form of marine organisms, are taken on board with it.
At the ships’ destination, when the heavy load goods are loaded, the ballast water, with its surviving stowaway organisms, is pumped out.
Some of these organisms then establish populations in the surrounding waters and this dramatically threatens or displaces native species and radically changes the natural ecosystem.
Matheickal said areas that need to be looked into include tracking the ship owners, the type of management options available, treatment of ballast water, ships keeping records and noting the number of foreign species released in the water.
Invasive species, once established, are difficult to manage and nearly impossible to eliminate.
The economic impacts can be staggering and it can be responsible to affect the public health as well.
