Seychelles targets ballast water in ecology drive

By George Thande

VICTORIA (Reuters) – Seychelles, battling the invasion of
alien marine species, said on Tuesday it was setting up an area
within its territorial waters where visiting ships will have to
exchange their ballast water before docking.

The measure is designed to protect the archipelago, famous
for its pristine beaches.

The problem of alien organisms is particularly acute in the
Indian Ocean where 98 percent of corals have died because of
rising sea temperatures that leave an ecological vacuum for
invading species.

“We have earmarked an area 80 miles from Port Victoria
where the ships should stop, discharge their ballast water and
take on fresh supplies,” said Captain Wilton Ernesta, head of
the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (MSA).

He said the MSA will be able to check both manual and
automatic recordings on incoming ships to verify whether the
ballast water pumps on board have been used as required.

“The zone has been marked on hard and electronic copies of
charts being given to ships,” he said, adding that laws
stipulating penalties for those who violate the requirement are
only now being drafted.

Ships transfer approximately 3-5 billion tonnes of
stabilizing ballast water internationally each year — one of
the main causes of the global spread of marine species.

The U.N. International Maritime Organization (IMO)
estimates at least 7,000 different species are being carried in
ballast tanks around the world, including bacteria and other
microbes.

Last week the MSA said studies had revealed the presence of
three so-called bryozoan species in Seychelles that were “not
historically known to have been found in this part of the
world.”

“Recently we heard of the zebra mussel, which has now
colonized most parts of the U.S., costing more than $20 million
a year in economic losses,” Ernesta said.

Seychelles is conducting a study to investigate the
presence of invasive species in its waters with the technical
support of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in a 179,000
euro ($229,400) project financed by oil conglomerate, TOTAL.