Transporte de criaturas marinas

Las aguas vivas son parte de la fauna marina.

New rules to prevent the transport of sea creatures around the world in the hulls of ships are being drawn up at a special conference starting in London. The International Maritime Organisation is negotiating a new convention aimed at reducing major environmental damage caused by the introduction of alien species. This report from Tim Hirsch:

It is estimated that three thousand different species are dumped every day into ports thousands of miles from their habitats carried in ballast tanks filled with seawater to provide stability to unladen ships.

Many creatures transported this way have devastated local wildlife. Anchovy fishing in the Black Sea has collapsed due partly to the arrival of an American jellyfish and the Chinese mitten crab is multiplying rapidly in the River Thames and other English rivers causing serious erosion with the burrows they dig in the banks.

The International Maritime Organisation will attempt to agree new binding rules this week forcing shipping companies to reduce this contamination which can cause far more lasting damage to wildlife than pollution from oil spills.

Tim Hirsch, BBC

species
especies

dumped
arrojadas

ballast
lastre/contrapeso

unladen
sin carga

have devastated local wildlife
han devastado la fauna local

collapsed
colapsado

erosion
erosión

binding rules
marco regulatorio

contamination
contaminación

damage
daño