THE PROBLEM OF BALLAST WATER IN MONTENEGRO PORTS AND POSSIBILITY OF ITS TREATMENT

Abstract

The problem of ballast water has been present in the world for the last hundred years, but it has grown and become more complex with the increasing intensity of overseas traffic. Introduction of various species from different parts of the world threatens flora and fauna, especially regarding small and closed seas, such as the Adriatic Sea. New species cause an interruption of the existing food chain which keeps the natural balance and purity of the sea. Many domicile organisms in the sea have been disappearing due to changes in environmental conditions, which significantly impairs the sea-water quality. This paper deals with different possible ways of sea and port protection from ballast water, starting with administrative measures, up to proposals of technologies by which those waters could be treated. The problem of ballast water is of particular concern in the Montenegrin part of the Adriatic Sea, and the protection proposal is given.