Waste Management and Pollution Control
A two-day training on invasive species transported through ballast water training was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands from 8-9 October for government and private sector agencies.
Ballast water is seawater that is taken on board by ships to ensure that they remain stable when sailing through open waters.
Ballast water is seawater that is taken on board by ships to ensure that they remain stable when sailing through open waters.
When a ship is not carrying cargo, it takes on seawater for stability. When a ship is about to take cargo on board, it discharges the seawater.
The taking up and discharging of seawater often includes taking up marine animals and plants. While most of the animals and plants do not survive a journey from one country to another, some that survive may establish in harbours and ports.
Those animals and plants not native to the country can spread from ports and harbours causing problems for local species.
Ballast water is one way invasive species are introduced to the country. There are many examples of invasive plants and animals causing economic and environment harm.
"While there are not many documented cases in the Pacific Islands, there are plenty of examples from New Zealand, Australia and America where animals like mussels are brought in ballast water and then released into the water causing problems", says SPREP's Pollution Advisor, Anthony Talouli.
"There has been a case in Marovo Lagoon last year where there was an algal bloom and this caused a lot of fish being killed", says Agnetha Vave-Karamui, from the Solomon Islands Department of Environment.
"We are not sure of the cause of this fish kill but a similar result could be seen if a harmful organism was released from ballast water", Vave-Karamui adds.
The Marovo Lagoon fish kill shows how important this training is. It highlighted the need to put in place measures for ships to follow so that they don't discharge species that will cause problems for Solomon Islands.
The ballast water management convention is an international agreement to deal with the spread of invasive species.
Because ballast is an important part of shipping operation, there are other important international and regional agreements that countries need to be aware of.
The safety of the ship and its crew on the open sea is also important so countries need to make sure that they do not put ships at risk of capsizing.
The training helps the Solomon Islands to understand ballast water issues and the convention with its guidelines.
Other international agreements and principles provide support to the ballast water convention.
"The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is one important instruments that helps the ballast water convention", says Posa Skelton, SPREP's Officer.
"The law of the sea convention states countries obligations, rights and liabilities with regards to protecting the marine environment from pollution and introduction of alien or new species".
"The agreement on biological diversity (Convention on Biological Diversity) is also another good instrument that contains decisions made by countries, including the Solomon Islands, to safeguard our marine environments", adds Dr Skelton.
The ballast water training covers compliance, monitoring and enforcement as an important part of the convention.
The training highlighted the need for Solomon Islands to start thinking about how it can take measures to further protect its marine environment.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the Australia Maritime Safety Authority and the Government of the Solomon Islands collaborated to provide the training to the 30 participants.
The International Maritime Organisation provided the materials and funding assistance for the training.