§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made as to the contamination caused by the release of190W ballast water by ships; and what guidelines exist as to the (a) location and (b) frequency with which ballast water should be released. [51249]
§ Mr. ByersWith relation to oil, the MARPOL Convention has contained requirements for the segregation of ballast water from cargo oil in tankers constructed after 1983. Since August 1999 the seas around the UK and out to the west of Ireland have had Special Area status under the MARPOL Convention; this means a total prohibition on the discharge of any cargo-related oil which may be entrained with ballast water.
Joint Nature Conservation Council, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department have conducted studies in a number of ports to identify the presence of non-indigenous organisms, some of which are thought to have been introduced via ships' ballast water. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has urged ships to follow the IMO's guidelines on ballast water management practices to reduce the risk of introducing non-indigenous species. The agency has issued a Marine Guidance Note on the matter. The UK continues to play a leading role within the International Maritime Organisation to develop mandatory requirements.