Name |
Native to |
Introduced to |
Impact |
| Cholera Vibrio cholerae (various strains) |
Various strains with broad ranges | South America, Gulf of Mexico and other areas | Some cholera epidemics appear to be directly associated with ballast water |
| Cladoceran Water Flea Cercopagis pengoi |
Black and Caspian Seas | Baltic Sea | Reproduces to form very large populations that dominate the zooplankton community and clog fishing nets and trawls, with associated economic impacts |
| Mitten Crab Eiocheir sinensis |
Northern Asia | Western Europe, Baltic Sea and West Coast North America | Undergoes mass migrations for reproductive purposes. Burrows into river banks and dykes causing erosion and siltation. Preys on native fish and invertebrate species, causing local extinctions during population outbreaks. Interferes with fishing activities |
| Toxic Algae(Red/Brown/ Green Tides) Various species |
Various species with broad ranges | Several species have been transferred to new areas in ships’ ballast water | May form Harmful Algae Blooms. Depending on the species, can cause massive kills of marine life through oxygen depletion, release of toxins and/or mucus. Can foul beaches and impact on tourism and recreation. Some species may contaminate filter-feeding shellfish and cause fisheries to be closed. Consumption of contaminated shellfish by humans may cause severe illness and death |
| Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus |
Black, Asov and Caspian Seas | Baltic Sea and North America | Highly adaptable and invasive. Increases in numbers and spreads quickly. Competes for food and habitat with native fishes including commercially important species, and preys on their eggs and young. Spawns multiple times per season and survives in poor water quality |
| North American Comb Jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi |
Eastern Seaboard of the Americas | Black, Azov and Caspian Seas | Reproduces rapidly (self fertilising hermaphrodite) under favourable conditions. Feeds excessively on zooplankton. Depletes zooplankton stocks; altering food web and ecosystem function. Contributed significantly to collapse of Black and Asov Sea fisheries in 1990s, with massive economic and social impact. Now threatens similar impact in Caspian Sea. |
| North Pacific Seastar Asterias amurensis |
Northern Pacific | Southern Australia | Reproduces in large numbers, reaching ‘plague’ proportions rapidly in invaded environments. Feeds on shellfish, including commercially valuable scallop, oyster and clam species |
| Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha |
Eastern Europe (Black Sea) | Introduced to: Western and northern Europe, including Ireland and Baltic Sea;eastern half of North America |
Fouls all available hard surfaces in mass numbers. Displaces native aquatic life. Alters habitat, ecosystem and food web. Causes severe fouling problems on infrastructure and vessels. Blocks water intake pipes, sluices and irrigation ditches. Economic costs to USA alone of around US$750 million to $1 billion between 1989 and 2000 |
| Asian Kelp Undaria pinnatifida |
Northern Asia | Southern Australia, New Zealand, West Coast of the United States, Europe and Argentina |
Grows and spreads rapidly, both vegetatively and through dispersal of spores. Displaces native algae and marine life. Alters habitat, ecosystem and food web. May affect commercial shellfish stocks through space competition and alteration of habitat |
| European Green Crab Carcinus maenus |
European Atlantic Coast | Southern Australia, South Africa, the United States and Japan | Highly adaptable and invasive. Resistant to predation due to hard shell. Competes with and displaces native crabs and becomes a dominant species in invaded areas. Consumes and depletes wide range of prey species. Alters inter-tidal rocky shore ecosystem |
Form of the Certificate
The Certificate shall be drawn up in the official language of the issuing Party, in the form set forth in Appendix I. If the language used is neither English, French nor Spanish, the text shall include a translation into one of these languages.
Regulation E-5 Duration and Validity of the Certificate
A Certificate shall be issued for a period specified by the Administration that shall not exceed five years.
For renewal surveys:
Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph 1, when the renewal survey is completed within three months before the expiry date of the existing Certificate, the new Certificate shall be valid from the date of completion of the renewal survey to a date not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Certificate.
When the renewal survey is completed after the expiry date of the existing Certificate, the new Certificate shall be valid from the date of completion of the renewal survey to a date not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Certificate.
When the renewal survey is completed more than three months before the expiry date of the existing Certificate, the new Certificate shall be valid from the date of completion of the renewal survey to a date not exceeding five years from the date of completion of the renewal survey.
If a Certificate is issued for a period of less than five years, the Administration may extend the validity of the Certificate beyond the expiry date to the maximum period specified in paragraph 1, provided that the surveys referred to in regulation E-1.1.3 applicable when a Certificate is issued for a period of five years are carried out as appropriate.
4 If a renewal survey has been completed and a new Certificate cannot be issued or placed on board the ship before the expiry date of the existing Certificate, the person or organization authorized by the Administration may endorse the existing Certificate and such a Certificate shall be accepted as valid for a further period which shall not exceed five months from the expiry date.
If a ship at the time when the Certificate expires is not in a port in which it is to be surveyed, the Administration may extend the period of validity of the Certificate but this extension shall be granted only for the purpose of allowing the ship to complete its voyage to the port in which it is to be surveyed, and then only in cases where it appears proper and reasonable to do so. No Certificate shall be extended for a period longer than three months, and a ship to which such extension is granted shall not, on its arrival in the port in which it is to be surveyed, be entitled by virtue of such extension to leave that port without having a new Certificate.
When the renewal survey is completed, the new Certificate shall be valid to a date not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Certificate before the extension was granted.
A Certificate issued to a ship engaged on short voyages which has not been extended under the foregoing provisions of this regulation may be extended by the Administration for a period of grace of up to one month from the date of expiry stated on it. When the renewal survey is completed, the new Certificate shall be valid to a date not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Certificate before the extension was granted.
In special circumstances, as determined by the Administration, a new Certificate need not be dated from the date of expiry of the existing Certificate as required by paragraph 2.2, 5 or 6 of this regulation. In these special circumstances, the new Certificate shall be valid to a date not exceeding five years from the date of completion of the renewal survey
If an annual survey is completed before the period specified in regulation E-1, then:
The Anniversary date shown on the Certificate shall be amended by endorsement to a date which shall not be more than three months later than the date on which the survey was completed;
The subsequent annual or intermediate survey required by regulation E-1 shall be completed at the intervals prescribed by that regulation using the new Anniversary date;
The expiry date may remain unchanged provided one or more annual surveys, as appropriate, are carried out so that the maximum intervals between the surveys prescribed by regulation E-1 are not exceeded.
A Certificate issued under regulation E-2 or E-3 shall cease to be valid in any of the following cases:
if the structure, equipment, systems, fittings, arrangements and material necessary to comply fully with this Convention is changed, replaced or significantly repaired and the Certificate is not endorsed in accordance with this Annex;
Upon transfer of the ship to the flag of another State. A new Certificate shall only be issued when the Party issuing the new Certificate is fully satisfied that the ship is in compliance with the requirements of regulation E-1. In the case of a transfer between Parties, if requested within three months after the transfer has taken place, the Party whose flag the ship was formerly entitled to fly shall, as soon as possible, transmit to the Administration copies of the Certificates carried by the ship before the transfer and, if available, copies of the relevant survey reports;
If the relevant surveys are not completed within the periods specified under regulation E-1.1; or
if the Certificate is not endorsed in accordance with regulation E-1
