Ballast Water and the Control of Invasive Species and Pathogens

Following on from Don's comment below there is now a large body of evidence that both invasive species and pathogens can be transferred by ballast water between ports. My previous comment really referred to the acceptance of this problem and making it part our existing barrier approach to pathogen control. There is an excellent website operated by the GEF/UNDP/IMO Global Ballast Water Management Programme (GloBallast) which is supported by the International Maritime Organization. It looks at the evidence and up to date research, including international regulations, concerning ballast water treatment and management. The site provides numerous technical reports and guidelines that can be downloaded. Link