The first regional meeting of Mediterranean countries for the implementation of the GloBallast Partnership Project started in the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik on Thursday.
The event was organised by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) and the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
The aim of the two day event is to lay foundations for the establishment of a joint strategy for managing ballast waters in the Mediterranean.
Croatia is a part of the GloBallast Partnerships Project as a Lead Partnering Country (LPC) in the Mediterranean region. The Croatian government has recognised the introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens into new marine ecosystems as a significant and growing environmental challenge, and is determined to preserve the sensitive environment of the Adriatic Sea. Therefore a complex approach to this issue, covering different aspects, was initiated.
The GloBallast Partnerships Project is a five year project launched by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the U.N Development Programme (UNDP) so as to help countries implement international standards for ballast waters management.
The conference was opened by REMPEC director Frederic Hebert. (Hina)