Invisible Invasion from the Sea--Ballast Water Destruction of Ecosystems (February 2004)

Invisible Invasion from the Sea--Ballast Water Destruction of Ecosystems (February 2004)
In February 2004, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Ballast Water Management Convention.

The Convention sets out an international response to an overlooked threat lurking in the shadows of international shipping: the destruction of ecosystems by invasive alien species spread by ballast water.

Ballast water is seawater that is loaded in one port and discharged in another port to adjust the buoyancy of the ship according to the amount of cargo carried.

This water contains invisible microscopic phytoplankton, pathogens, eggs, fry, etc., which are transported to various parts of the world and often cause major disturbances to the ecosystem of the destination port.

In fact, in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and other countries, there have been reports of alien species in ballast water destroying native shellfish and fish, causing extensive damage to the fisheries industry.

In addition, the transport of cholera bacteria and red tide plankton was also suspected, posing a health risk to humans and affecting coastal economies.

The early 2000s was a time when an international framework for addressing transboundary environmental issues was being sought, along with global warming, and this treaty was a symbolic outcome of that effort.

The Convention requires all internationally traveling ships to install ballast water treatment equipment, to filter and disinfect ballast water before discharge, and to maintain record-keeping and regular monitoring, and emphasizes the responsibility of port of call and flag states for inspections.

Japan was no stranger to this.

There were already cases of alien marine organisms such as red jellyfish and starfish taking root in Japanese ports, and a sense of crisis was spreading among fishermen.

It was around this time that port administrators, shipbuilders, and shipping companies began working together to introduce new technologies and establish guidelines.

The depth of the problem stems from the ambiguous position that the "public space of the sea" is both everyone's responsibility and no one's responsibility.

The adoption of the Convention was the first step in shining the light of law on "invisible aggression" in the sense that it imposed clear international responsibility on the boundary line.

But the essence of the problem still lurked beneath the waves.

The resolve to share the "sea" on a global scale was finally beginning to be called for.