Connection of Fisheries Management and Ballast Water Management Contract (Bwm Convention, 2004)

Abstract

Although land-based pollution is expressed as the most important pollution factor in the pollution of the seas (80%), the rate of pollution originating from ships (approximately 20%) is not to be underestimated. The fact that marine pollution is caused almost exclusively by ships requires investigation of the measures to be taken against marine pollution from ships and their applicability. As a matter of fact, the most important cause of pollution caused by ships is ballast water, and it has been determined that over 7,000 marine organisms are transported between ports with ballast waters on a global scale every day. Ballast water is used to maintain the balance of the ship on the water when the ships are not loaded. Considering that 90% of international trade is still provided by ships and 3-5 billion tons of ballast water is transported by approximately 85,000 ships every year with world maritime trade, the importance of pollution caused by ballast water becomes apparent. While ballast water is one of the elements that cause the transport of exotic marine and freshwater organisms between all seas of the world and cause pollution, the pollution in question is very effective especially in the aquaculture sector. Therefore, in this article, the connection of ballast water with fisheries management has been examined and solutions have been sought for the problems.