The Western Australia Branch of the IMarEST held a technical meeting earlier in June discussing the 'International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments' including a viewing of the award winning IMO/BBC documentary Invaders from the Sea. This documentary highlights the impact of marine organisms transported in ship's ballast water, detailing how this has affected biological and economic resources in many areas of the world and discusses some of the solutions available to address the issue.
The presentation focused on the current status of the IMO Ballast Water Convention and Australia's response to the worldwide spread of invasive species - particularly in light of the massive increase in shipping numbers envisaged in Western Australia with the Northwest Shelf expansion.
For more information on the IMarEST and Ballast Water Management, visit the web page of the Ballast Water Expert Group (BWEG), a special interest group of the IMarEST.