Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward on Ballast Water Management in Malaysia

Abstract

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-GB">It is generally understood that international shipping is fairly amenable to management strategies aimed at preventing the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species through the discharge of ballast water. Malaysia’s strategic location along the Straits of Malacca (SOM), one of the world’s busiest waterways, emphasises the need for strategies to manage ballast water issues for both national and international shipping. The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water 2004 (BWM 2004) was ratified by Malaysia in 2010, although it has not yet been enforced for ships operating in her waters. This paper reviews progress on the implementation of the BWM 2004 provisions as well as issues and challenges faced by the various stakeholders in its implementation at the national level. Current and planned actions and programmes by<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> Malaysia to comply with the provisions of BWM 2004 to address local concerns are also discussed.</span></span>