Ballast Water Management in Malaysia: Issues and Concerns

Cheryl Rita Kaur Centre for Coastal & Marine Environment MIMACentre for Coastal & Marine Environment, MIMA

International Conference on Biofouling & Ballast Water Management (ICBAB 2008), [5 – 7 February 2008] Goa, India.

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

• IntroductionIntroduction • Background• Nature & magnitude globally g g y• International responses and initiatives • Situation in Malaysia• Recommendations• Conclusion

Introductiont oduct o

• Ballast water is defined as ‘water (with its suspended matter) used to maintain the trim and stability of a vesselmatter) used to maintain the trim and stability of a vessel.– Replaces cargo; eg. oil tankers– Used for vessel control; eg. balance for partially loaded g p y

container ship– For loading/ unloading; eg. heavy lift vessels

Ballast water is the principal pathway for unintentional p p p yintroduction of alien species.

1 of 4 major threats to world’s oceans 2nd greatest threat to biodiversity.

BackgroundBackground• Shipping in society:

Modern society is shipping dependenty pp g pCarries >90% world trade> 85,000 ships in world fleet

• Volumes of seaborne trade continue to increase and the problem may not yet have reached its peakpeak.

• The development of faster and larger ships, combined with rapidly increasing world tradecombined with rapidly increasing world trade, has reduced the natural barriers to the dispersal of species.

• Larger quantities are carried more quickly and frequently to a greater number of destinations.

International Seaborne Trade and Exports of Goods

9.0

International Seaborne Trade and Exports of Goods (1955-2004)

7.0

8.0 Seaborne Trade (billions of tons of goods loaded)Exports of Goods (trillions of $US)

4.0

5.0

6.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

0.0

1.0

955 958 961 964 967 970 973 976 979 982 985 988 991 994 997 2000 2003195 195 196 196 196 197 197 197 197 198 198 198 199 199 199 200 200

Source: (WTO and Fearnleys, 2003)

UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transportp

• Increasing size of ships and now more than 9000 TEU ships in service

Year Average ship size

Largest ship in world fleetTEU ships in service.

• Opportunities for

ship size(TEU)

world fleet (TEU)

1980 975 3,0571990 1 355 4 409economics of scale and

therefore to reduce unit costs of space

1990 1,355 4,4092000 1,741 7,2002004 1,999 8,063costs of space.

Global Nature and Magnitude of the ProblemG oba atu e a d ag tude o t e ob e

• Problem:Ecological – 2nd greatest threat to marine biodiversity Economic – US$10s of billions globally annuallyHuman health – disease and death in humans

C f• Catastrophic introductions of species have been documented worldwide, and the effects of most of them have been irreversible.

International Responses and Initiativeste at o a espo ses a d t at es• CBD; UNCLOS; WSSD (JoBerg 2002); UNCED (Agenda

21) 1992; etc. – highlighted the issue and called upon governments and industry to actgovernments and industry to act

• National responses: stringent unilateral rules on voluntary and mandator reporting and reg lationsand mandatory reporting and regulations.

• IMO responses: The IMO International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments 2004.IMO-GloBallast Programme (2000-2004) Ballast water treatment technology development.IMO-GloBallast Partnership Initiative IMO GloBallast Partnership Initiative

The IMO Convention• Ballast water management is a complex issue raising the

challenge of merging international regulations, ship’s specific configurations along with ecological conservation.

• Builds on the complementary roles of coastal port and flag• Builds on the complementary roles of coastal, port and flag States as well as the shipping industry in protecting the marine environment - embracing effective ballast water management measures:measures: ballast water exchange, new shipboard treatment technologies, new infrastructure such as port reception facilities and new ship d i j t t fdesign just to name a few.

• The convention will enter into force 12 months after ratification• The convention will enter into force 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35% of world merchant shipping tonnage.

Why is the IMO BWM Convention important ?Why is the IMO BWM Convention important ?Transboundary issue:

• Successful ballast water control and management would only be possible through cooperation at global and regional level with uniform enforcement.level with uniform enforcement.

• This is a challenge for the States, but it also pertinent to acknowledge the consequences of not supporting and adopting the Convention.p g

Foreseeable effects:

• Compliance difficult and complex for ship operators.• Complicate the conduct of worldwide trade.• Undue delay and financial implications to the ship operator -

signatories could stop ships from entering ports if vessels don’t conform to standards.

Management Measures

• Minimise uptake of organisms during ballasting,

a age e t easu es

– avoid areas of known outbreaks,– avoid shallow water,

avoid ballasting at night– avoid ballasting at night.

• Immediate step – enforcement of ballast water exchangep g

• Long term – ballast water treatment

Ballast exchange limited by safety considerationsBallast exchange limited by safety considerations

Long term measure – ballast water treatment

S f & fSignificant R&D of alternative methods

• Filtration• Hydrocyclones• Heat treatment• UV treatment• Ozone treatmentOzone treatment• Chemical treatment (e.g chlorine)• Electro-ionization• Gas-supersaturation, and• Others plus combinations.

Situation in Malaysia

Ballast Water Management in Malaysia

• Ballast water issue is yet to be fully ascertained in Malaysia.

Ballast Water Management in Malaysia

• There is an absence of information on the extent of the problems associated with ballast water discharging due to p g glack of research.

• Lack of continuous monitoring is a major impediment to• Lack of continuous monitoring is a major impediment to detect any introductions.

Ballast Water Threats in Malaysian WatersBallast Water Threats in Malaysian Waters

• About 95% of the country’s trade is seaborne, carried by ships.

• There are at least 105 landing facilities in the country, ranging from major ports to small jetties either under federal or state j p jcontrol. This represents a major challenge to the efforts to manage the ballast water issue.

• The major federal seaports are located in Klang, Penang, Johor, Kuantan and Kemaman in Peninsular Malaysia; and the major seaports are at Kuching and Rajang in Sarawak, and Kota Ki b l i S b hKinabalu in Sabah.

Ports in MalaysiaPorts in Malaysia

Penang Port Kota Kinabalu Port

Port KlangBintulu Port

Johor PortTanjung Pelepas

Johor Port

2005 Container Throughput 2005Rank

Container Throughput (million TEUs)

2005 million TEUs

1 Singapore 23.19

2 Hong Kong 22.43

3 Shanghai 18.08g

4 Shenzhen 16.20

5 Busan 11.84

6 Kaohsiung 9.47

7 Rotterdam 9 307 Rotterdam 9.30

8 Hamburg 8.05

9 Dubai 7.62

10 Los Angeles 7.48

Top 20 container ports for 2005

11 Long Beach 6.71

12 Antwerp 6.48

13 Qingdao 6.31

14 Port Klang 5.54

15 Ningbo 5.19

16 Tianjin 4.80

17 New York/New Jersey 4.80

18 Guangzhou 4.6818 Guangzhou 4.68

19 Port Tanjung Pelepas 4.17

20 Laem Chabang 3.82

Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC)Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC)

• Dominating maritime transportation in Malaysia with a bi d t f th 8 33 illi DWT dcombined tonnage of more than 8.33 million DWT and a

total fleet of 149 ships as at March 2004.

• World’s largest single owner-operator of LNG vessels and the second largest owner-operator of Aframax tankers.

• By the end of 2007, MISC’s fleet has been estimated to increase to 165 with the delivery of newbuildings that haveincrease to 165 with the delivery of newbuildings that have been ordered.

• MISC’s vessels call at 700 ports in 80 countries.

• As one of the world’s trading nations located amid one of gthe fastest growing economic regions in the world, Malaysia presents enormous opportunities for growth in shipping.

• The Straits of Malacca is the most strategic waterway on the globe, catering for almost all trans-Asian shipping traffic from Europe, the Middle East, and India to the West Pacific.

• A boost in the number of ships calling to ports has also been recorded over the years - 57,156 (277,734,000 GRT) in y , ( , , )1996 drastically increased to 64,257 ships (475,455,000 GRT) in 2005.

• Factors represent huge management challenge for Malaysia. Problems caused could be further compounded as any introductions of exotic species could be spread domestically b t l l i thby coastal vessels passing the area.

More than 600 ships pass through the Straits every day making itMore than 600 ships pass through the Straits every day, making it one the busiest shipping channels in the world.

Number of vessels reporting to Klang VTS(1999 - 2005)

5931460034 62334 63636 6262170000

43965

5595759314

50000

60000

43965

40000

50000

20000

30000

0

10000

0Year 99 Year 00 Year 01 Year 02 Year 03 Year 04 Year 05

Type of vessels reported in the Straits of Malacca (1994 & 2005)

15,00020,00025,000

o.

05,000

10,000No

0

anke

r/LLP

G

go/B

ulk

arrie

r

ntai

ner

RoR

o

seng

ersh

ip

VLC

C/T

aN

G/L

Car

g Ca

Con

Pass s

Types

19942005V

Total number of ships calling by ports (1999-2005)

16000

18000

10000

12000

14000

6000

8000

10000

0

2000

4000

0

Kla

ng

Pena

ng

Joho

r

Kua

ntan

Bin

tulu

Kuc

hing Miri

Raj

ang

Saba

hpo

rts

Port

Dic

kson

mam

an

Tanj

ung

Pele

pas

P K K D

Ke T P

T f hi lli t M l i t (2004)Type of ships calling at Malaysian ports (2004)

Foreign going

Coastal / DomesticCoastal / Domestic

The Straits of Malacca• Nearly 70% of fishermen in Peninsular Malaysia

concentrated along the coast & islands in the Straits.

• >380,000 tonnes of fish estimated at USD 0.32 million peryear landed from the Straits.

• Other economic activities include mariculture, tourism,recreation and maritime industry.

• Resort & tourist spots – need to be pollution free.

• Location of independent power plants – require cleanwater intake.

• Straits of Malacca – a vital lifeline both for its rich naturalliving resources and the development of the nation’seconomy.

Concerns for MalaysiaCo ce s o a ays a

Th t k h ld i i di i li kill• There are many stakeholders in various disciplines, skills and industries –

Shipping, fisheries, mariculture, marine biodiversity, tourism, human health, constitutional right to environmental protection, and ecosystems variation along its coastline.

Marine Parks

Marine environment as a drawcard for economic revenue generation in Malaysia.

Source: UP-MSI, ABC, ARCBC, DENR, ASEAN, 2002. Marine Protected Areas in Southeast Asia. ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

Fisheries 2004

State Total (Tan metric / T )

Values in Ringgit (RM)

Fisheries, 2004

Tonnes) (RM)

West Coast 593,475 1,873,885,891

East Coast 355,627 1,106,817,414

Peninsular M l i

949,102 2,980,703,305MalaysiaSarawak 186,113 644,112,435

Sabah 188 597 581 063 719Sabah 188,597 581,063,719

Labuan Federal Territory

7,833 35,570,286

Estimated wholesale value of aquaculture production in Peninsular Malaysia, 2004

(RM ‘ 000)

Ponds Cages Cockles Mussels Oyster Seaweed Sub-total

( )

674,019 155,073 54,215 3,255 1,341 15,478 903,381

The estimated wholesale value of aquaculture production in Peninsular Malaysia alone in 2004 was reaching a towering sum of RM 903 381 000sum of RM 903,381,000.

Issues for Malaysia

1. Ballast water is not regarded as a pollutant in Malaysia.

ssues o a ays a

Ballast water movements within Malaysia are unmanaged and unregulated. g g

There are no guidelines/rules available to specifically address the control of ballast water discharges in add ess t e co t o o ba ast ate d sc a gesMalaysian ports.

Current provisions of the Environmental Quality Act andCurrent provisions of the Environmental Quality Act and the Federation Port Rules will only be applied if ballast water discharged from ships contains oil residue.

2. As for now, the main government body involved in g ymonitoring the development of the issue under the IMO is the Marine Department.

It is also important to acknowledge that the problem of harmful organisms and pathogens in ship’s ballast water is not a confined problem and its solutionwater is not a confined problem and its solution depends on the initiatives of the government as a whole within its separate ministries, departments and organizationsorganizations.

3. Although the national shipping companies are aware that ballast water in many ways is a cumulative and chronic y yproblem, they are still reluctant to make decision to react to the issue.

These companies choose to put off any actions as there are still no regulatory mechanisms to legalize and g y gmonitor ballast water discharges in Malaysia.

As for now, Malaysian ships that call at the international ports are carrying out ballast water exchange, which includes sequential exchange and flow-through methodsincludes sequential exchange and flow through methods.

4. There is a lack of local marine biological diversity baseline data and records of possible introductions of

i di tl i t d ith b ll t t t thspecies directly associated with ballast water to the environment.

It is therefore difficult to assess the extent of the problems associated with ballast water discharges in Malaysian waters.

Lack of continuous monitoring is a major impediment to detecting any introduction of invasive alien species. M i f i i th iMoreover, in many groups of marine organisms, there is currently insufficient knowledge of the existing native organisms to enable assessment of possible alien speciesspecies.

Possible Threat in Malaysia: Harmful Algal BloomsPossible Threat in Malaysia: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs: - Ballast Water?

Invasive species – destruction of eco-system

Algae blooms e g red tides fish killsAlgae blooms – e.g. red tides - fish kills

Year Organism Note

1976 Pyrodinium bahamense Plate var. Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) was

Some records of HABs in Malaysia

ycompressum

y p g ( )first reported in Kimanis Bay, Sabah.

Until 1990 PSP was confined to the west coast of Sabah, where dinoflagellates Pyrodinium bahamense Plate var. compressum

Common PSP toxin-producing species in Malaysia and Philippines, also recorded along the Pacific coastline ofbahamense Plate var. compressum

Böhm form blooms almost annuallyrecorded along the Pacific coastline of central America

Early 1991 Pyrodinium bahamense Plate var. compressum. This PSP occurred for the first time outside Sabah

Three people were poisoned after consuming mussels from a mussel farm in Sebatu on the Strait of Malaccafirst time outside Sabah. in Sebatu on the Strait of Malacca.

September 2001

Symptoms typical of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin-producing dinoflagellates.

Six people were poisoned, including one fatality, after consuming the benthic clam Polymesoda sp. collected from a coastal lagoon in Tumpat on thecoastal lagoon in Tumpat on the northeast coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

2002 Alexandrium affine, Alexandrium leei, Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium

Five species of Alexandrium were recorded to be present in coastal waters of Peninsula Malaysia on thetamarense and Alexandrium

tamiyavanichiiwaters of Peninsula Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca.

2002 Prorocentrum minimum A bloom was first detected in waters off southern Johor.

Late 2003 A new dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides formed a bloom in Sabah and the Northern part of Sarawak for the first time.

Known as a ‘fish killer’ commonly recorded to occur only in Korea and Japan waters.

SO: Nagasaki University & University of Tokyo

HAB in Sabah

Global distribution of HAB

Contributing Factors:

•Ballast water transport

•Shellfish transplantation

•Environmental change ( hi i / i(eutrophication/ contaminant loading)

•Global climate changeg

The global distribution of HAB events in 1999 compared to the 1970’s (IOC, UNESCO, 2000)

What can be done by• Shipping is an international industry.• Invasive species are a trans-

What can be done by Malaysia?

boundary issue - Individual ports/countries cannot address alone through unilateral measures.through unilateral measures.

• Once invasions occur, it is too late.• Need to address at source / prevent.• Uniform global regime is needed

(IMO Convention).R i l d l b l ti• Regional and global cooperation, coordination & standardisation is critical

• Do not re-invent the wheel.

RecommendationsRecommendations

• Training and provision of information, scientific and g ptechnical assistance such as port and ballast water sampling and monitoring programmes, strengthening national laws and build the ability to enforce, promoting y p gbilateral and regional measures with the neighbouringcountries for regional cooperation activities as well as information exchange. g

• Form a National Task Force (NTF) involving government as a whole within its separate ministries departmentsas a whole within its separate ministries, departments and organizations to coordinate the national response to the issue.

• The scientific community should be encouraged and supported to carry out baseline surveys and monitoringmonitoring.

• Replicate best practices from the pilot countries of the GloBallast Programme to facilitate the development and implementation of ballast water management.

• Ratify the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention.

ConclusionConclusion

• We need tighter controls or face a serious riskof accidentally importing some very undesirabley p g yexotic organisms.

“Prevention is better than cure”

Some EffortsSome Efforts1. Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOFM):

ACTION PLAN FOR AQUATIC INVASIVE ALIENACTION PLAN FOR AQUATIC INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS) IN MALAYSIA

2 Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA):2. Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA):Conferences/Seminars conducted – June 2004, Nov 2006Recommendations to the govt.

3. “IMO – MOT National Seminar on Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention” - May 2007

4. ASEAN-India initiativeSub committee on Marine Science & TechnologySub-committee on Marine Science & Technology (SCMSAT)

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