Facts & FAQ's

Facts

	Shipping carries more than 90% of the world's commodities and is essential to the global economy.
	A single bulk cargo ship of 200,000 tonnes can carry up to 60,000 tonnes of ballast water.
	Ballast water is essential to ensure balance, stability and structural integrity of a ship when it is empty of cargo. Ships must use ballast.
	It is estimated that 12 billion tonnes of ballast water are carried around the world each year.
	It is estimated that, at any time, 7,000 different species are carried around the world in ships' ballast.
	Every nine weeks a marine species invades a new environment somewhere in the world.
	It is estimated that the cost of all invasive species is in the vicinity of billions of dollars per year in the USA alone.
	Shipping is increasing and greater quantities of ballast water are being carried more quickly and more frequently to an increasing number of new destinations.
	Invasive marine species are one of the greatest threats to our oceans. The Global Ballast Water Management Programme is working to address this threat.

Did you know?

	San Francisco Bay is the most invaded aquatic ecosystem in North America, with 234 introduced species. Between 1961-1995, an average of one new species arrived every 14 weeks.
	Every hour, an average of more than 2 million gallons of ballast water is released into U.S. waters.
	It is estimated that on any one day more than 3,000 species of freshwater, brackish and marine organisms may be transported in ballast water in ocean-going vessels around the world.
	Large water users in the Great Lakes basin alone spent $120 million for control of the zebra mussel from 1998-1994.
	Nearly $1 million per year for the past 20 years has been spent in California to remove the submersed, nonindigenous aquatic plant, hydrilla. In Florida, annual maintenance costs for hydrilla, a native of Asia, now exceed $14 million.

FAQ's

What is Ballast Water?
Ballast is any material used to weight or balance an object. One example is the sandbags carried on conventional hot-air balloons. These can be discarded to lighten the balloon's load, allowing it to ascend.

In ships, ballast is used to maintain balance, stability and structural integrity, especially when the ship is empty of cargo. Ships have carried solid ballast, in the form of rocks, sand and metal, for thousands of years. Modern ships use water as ballast.

What is Marine Bioinvasion?
Bioinvasion occurs when an alien organism is introduced into an environment and the ecosystem therein is disturbed. The invading organisms live in semblance with their predators and are controlled by ecosystem interaction in their natural environment. However, in the alien environment the can turn out to be pests.

What facilitates Marine Bioinvasion?
Intentional introduction for aquaculture gain and unintentional introduction through shipping are the major pathways of Marine Bioinvasion. The pathways related to shipping include introduction through ballast water discharge and fouling of ship hulls. Advances in shipbuilding have resulted in larger and faster vessels. This in turn has increased the chances of successful introduction of marine organisms to alien environments manifold.

How can I Help?
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What is the threat?
The overall impact can be broadly categorised under three major areas:

1. Ecological
Some introduced species severely deplete native populations or deprive them of food thus resulting in restructuring of the food web. Others form colonies which can smother existing fauna, disrupting & changing native bio-diversity & restructuring the food web. It is estimated that, every nine weeks, new marine species is invading a new environment somewhere in the world.

2. Economical
Coastal industry and other commercial activities and resources are affected by the invading species. In the USA alone, the economic losses due to this are reported to be billions of dollars each year.

3. Health
When toxic organisms, diseases & pathogens are introduced through ballast water, it spreads illness in human beings. Such introduction may also affect shellfish, fish, sea birds etc.

What is being done?
UNDP/GEF is implementing a global ballast water management programme through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Brazil, China, India, Iran, South Africa and Ukraine are participating in this programme. This programme aims to raise awareness among stakeholders and to remove barriers for effective ballast water management.