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Protection in the Coastal Zone - Ballast Water Management


Introduction	Government	Production	Protection	Infrastructure	Contacts

Ballast Water Management in the Coastal Zone

The community agreed the following objective for ballast water management in the coastal zone:

1. Objective:

To control and minimise the ecological risks associated with ballast water in Bantry Bay.

The community identified the following challenges to achieving the objective:

2. Ballast water is water held in tanks on board ships to give them greater stability and make them
safer to operate. This water may have been pumped on board when the ship was elsewhere. If the
water is released into the Bay, living organisms and other substances that it contains (which are not
normally found in Bantry Bay) may pose a danger to existing species in the Bay. As a result, ballast
water represents a potential risk to those activities that may be influenced or upset by a change in the
species found in the Bay. These activities include fishing, aquaculture and recreational activities.
There may also be concerns about risks to human health.

Ireland has signed up to the International Maritime Organisation's code of best practice for
management of ballast water; this outlines one way of handling ballast water. However, at the
moment there is no single method for treating ballast water which can guarantee that it is safe for
release into Bantry Bay.

It is possible to pump ballast water to holding tanks ashore, where it can be treated to ensure that no
organisms are released into the Bay. However, most ships do not have the ability to pump their
ballast water ashore.

The potential risks associated with ballast water are not widely known about or understood by the
local community.

3. Agreed Approach to Achieving the Objective:

The community agreed the following approach to achieving the objective:

3.a Information on the potential risks associated with ballast water should be made easily available. (IT 4.f)

3.d Details relating to those ships entering Bantry Bay, including their last port of call and how their ballast water is being managed within the Bay, should be made available to the public. (IT 4.f)

3.b There should be a clear understanding of which agencies are responsible for regulating and enforcing ballasting operations.

3.c Information about the controls in place regulating ballast discharge should also be made available. This should include information on the International Maritime Organisation code of best practice for management of ballast water. (IT 4.f)

3.e As effective new techniques are developed to reduce the number of new species introduced by ballast discharge, these should be adopted and used in Bantry Bay.

3.f Techniques that enable ships to pump ballast water ashore for treatment should be explored.

4. Agreed Actions:

Specifically, the community has agreed that the following actions should be carried out:

4.a The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources is to clarify what agencies are responsible for the regulation of ballast water discharge, how they are to work together and to explain the operation of the present system for managing ballast water. (CPP 4.c)

4.d Keep informed of the latest methods for management of ballast water as they are developed, including the IMO code of practice, and evaluate the suitability of these for Bantry Bay.

4.b Information on shipping and ballast water operations in the Bay are to be made freely and easily available. This includes information on the ships that visit the Bay, including their last port of call and when and where they discharge ballast water, etc. (IT 4.f)

4.e Establish a mechanism for managing ballast water operations in Bantry Bay by agreement with all interested parties. (PP 3.h)

4.c Require all ships calling into Bantry Bay to provide full, up-to-date information on their previous port of call, before they are permitted to enter the harbour. Hazardous species found at these ports should be identified from a listing provided to the Harbour Master to help him make decisions regarding discharge of ballast water. Set up formal contacts with agencies and individuals with the most recent information on ballast water risks.

4.f Investigate possible techniques, equipment and ship design that will enable ships to pump their ballast water ashore.

4.g Introduce formal system of monitoring and testing for any ballast water that is discharged into the Bay. There is a body of opinion which proposes that the banning of ballast should be considered as an option subject to scientific studies.


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