Gerenciamento da água de lastro e sedimentos de navios e a bioinvasão

Abstract

The present essay aims to carry out an evaluation of the risk of invasion of exotic and pathologic agents (its consequences to economy, environment and health) through ship ballast water management, since the global movement of ship ballast water is, amongst a number of other, the most significant transference vector nowadays. According to IMO (International Maritime Organization) estimates, three to five billion tons of water are transported annually through ship ballast water. This transport conditions allow not only the water to be transported, as well as countless organisms that, once surviving within the reservoirs, are misplaced in unusual coastal environments. This transport of exotic elements reflects directly on the ecosystems of the great international trade connection areas. It is, therefore, pertinent that national –NORMAM 20 (Maritime Authority Norm) which regulates the management of ship ballast water in Brazilian Waters -and international legislation –Ballast Water Management Convention -be known in regard to comprehending governments’ efforts to combat this bio-invasion.