Ballast water management in Croatia

The World Health Organization, as well as Port Authorities, have expressed great concern regarding the growing menace of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens released from the ballast tanks of freighters partaking in international voyages. Management and control measures include (1) minimizing the uptake of organisms during ballasting by avoiding areas where populations of harmful organisms are known to occur ; (2) cleaning ballast tanks, such as removing mud and sediments that accumulate in tanks, which may harbour harmful organisms ; and (3) avoiding unnecessary discharge of ballast. Ballast Water Exchange is the operational method currently used by all ships that are subjected to existing regulations, this exchange strives to remove exotic species from ballast tanks by replacing seawater taken on in port and near shore areas with seawater from the deep, open ocean. International regulations concerning the problem of ballast water were first introduced in the late 1980s. In 2004, The Ballast Water Convention was adopted, consisting of Articles and an Annex which includes technical standards and requirements for the control and management of ships' ballast water and sediments. By adoption of the Maritime Code in 2004, which is based about 80 percent on Maritime Code of the Republic of Croatia enacted in 1994, Croatia was obliged to create legislation on ballast waters control and management within the period of two years from the enforcement of the Code.