Ballast Water Exchange in the North Atlantic

Abstract

This white paper focuses on the regional component of ballast water management and specifically addresses concerns in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Gulf of Maine. It summarizes vessel traffic and ballast water exchange in this region, and recommends cooperation between Canada and the U.S. to (a) examine the feasibility of alternate ballast exchange areas within the Exclusive Economic Zone for the Northwest Atlantic, (b) support continued data collection on ship traffic and ballast exchange, (c) continue support for research on risk assessment, and (d) support development of alternative ballast water treatments.