Ballast Water Workshop, October 27 & 28, 2003

A Ballast Water Workshop was held on October 27-28, 2003, at the Citadel Hotel, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was cosponsored by the MIT Sea Grant College Program and Transport Canada.

Purpose: The purpose of the workshop was to explore the feasibility of identifying areas along the Northwestern Atlantic that may be suitable for ballast water exchange for vessels traveling along the coast, and to answer the question: Are there areas within the EEZ where ballast water exchange is environmentally and economically feasible? On the first day, notable speakers addressed what is known about the physical and biological oceanography, discussed how the shipping community is working to prevent introductions, examined the adequacy of data for risk assessment, and explored how these concerns are addressed elsewhere. The second day focused on policy suggestions and recommendations for managing ballast water exchange in the region. The workshop was attended by a broad audience, including state and federal agencies, policy makers, the shipping community, port authorities, regulators, and others interested in ballast water management issues.

Report: The report from the workshop is available for download from the publications section, or by clicking here: Download Report (11 Mb PDF)