Risk assessment approximation to the introduction of species in Colombian Seaports, through ballast water

Abstract

Colombia has eight ports receiving ships of international maritime traffic, whose impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure and health, can be caused by the discharge of ballast water from different places globally. The International Maritime Organization since more than two decades has established guidelines to counteract the problem of biological pollution in coastal areas generated by the ballast water vector, between these guidelines have been established several models to assess the introduction risk of species into new areas, which consider for example: arrival frequency (C1), ballast water volumes discharged in seaport (C2), the environmental similarity, between source port and receiving port (C3), and introduced species in the study areas (C4), with two risk reduction factors: Tanks size (R1), and the days of permanence of water in tanks (R2). From this methodology and the ballast water management formats submitted to the Colombian Maritime Authority in compliance to the resolution 477/2012 during 2014, the risk level was established to eight Colombian ports. Puerto Bolívar, Coveñas and Santa Marta were identified as the main importers ports of ballast water in the country with 10041 444 m3 (34.64 %); 9552 509.26 m3 (32.95 %) and 7846 182.632 m3 (27.07 %). On the other hand was identified that Tumaco y Santa Marta, although not represent high discharges of ballast water, generate high risks by environmental similarity between these and the ballast water source.