‫جمهورية العراق‬

‫وزارة البيئة‬
4152 ‫ نيسان‬51-51 ‫المؤتمر العلمي االول للبيئة‬

Environmental Impact of Iraqi Ports developments

By

Kareem Jabbar Hasan

Midland Oil Refineries / Daura Refinery

Environment Department

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Summary
The excessive ports and shipping activities contribute a serious threat to
the marine environment and to the creatures’ particularly those who lives
adjacent to the coast. Also pollution from ships has huge impact on human
health. Currently, The Iraqi ports witnessed mass development and
economic growth accelerates. Consequently the number of ships that call
Iraqi ports has increased dramatically, these ships daily uses fossil fuel to
produce power and carry different types of dangerous cargoes. These
activities cause a major threat to the environment, particularly
contaminated ballast water. Ballast water often loaded at the coastal water
of cargo discharge port and discharged from the ship into the coastal water
of the cargo loading port. Therefore, these ships are discharged into Iraqi
coastal water the contaminated ballast water, which uses to keep the ships
stable and survive the bad weather. Typically ballast water contains
different biological species such as viruses, plants, animals and bacteria.
These alien creatures often become invasive and toxic and cause extensive
ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystem. Therefore,
legislations and national policy should be existed to enable the Iraqi port
state control to exercise their role by adopting and observe the
implementation of international regulation to prevent and reduce the
threats of different types of pollution from ships. The objective of this
study is to introduce the effect of different types of pollution caused by
ships on the marine and coastal ecology and to provide solutions to reduce
or eliminate the threat of pollution from ships.

Introduction

Being the country with huge oil reserves and increasing oil export, besides
that Iraq estimated to become the region fastest growing construction and
infrastructure rehabilitation leads to the increase in the maritime
transportation. In addition, the world witnesses a rapid increase of
international maritime transport due to being cheaper and more reliable.
Consequently, the number of ships calling Basra ports is rapidly increases.
Some ship owners neglect the maintenance and the repair of their vessels
and/or not comply with international rules seeking to increase profitability.
Also, they operated their vessels with inadequate safe navigation
equipment. These sub-standard ships pose a serious threat to the marine
environment. Therefore, inspection of foreign ships in national water is
necessary to verify that these ships are complying with the valid

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requirement of international regulation. UNEP (2013), states that 20 percent
of marine pollution is caused by ships activities such as garbage disposal,
sewage discharge, oil spill and ballast and dirty water ballast discharge.
Consequently, animals and plants lives in marine environment, diminish as
the result of port and shipping activities.

Oil Pollution

There are several ways in which oil may introduce to marine environment.
These ways include the accidental discharge such as collision, grounding
and hull failure. As well, the operational discharge from ships such as tank
cleaning and bilge oil discharges.

Oil spill from ships can cause mass mortality of fish, birds and marine
mammals. Oil can cause hypothermia in marine animals, when crude oil or
oil products mix with water it forms a thick and stick substance called
mousse, which sticks to animal feathers and fur. Birds’ feathers normally
filled with air gaps that act as insulation and help to keep the bird warm.
The feathers lose their insulating ability when a bird gets coated with oil.
Lately the birds could die by hypothermia. In addition, oil spill effects on
animals include damages to immune system. Lunges and eyes are hurt
severely from oil vapors (Int. bird rescue, 2014).

In the intertidal zones oil spill caused by highly persistent oil such as
heavy fuel oil has the potential to cause enormous damage by means of
smothering. In addition, a physical and chemical alteration of natural
habitat is resulted from the incorporation of oil and sediments. Also, oil
spill has toxic effect on flora and fauna. Furthermore, flora and fauna are
affected by physical smothering. Likewise, oil spill primarily effect on loss
of key organisms from a community and the takeover of habitat by
opportunistic species leads to changes in biological communities (ITOPF,
2011). Therefore, Iraq has to develop and maintain sufficient ability to
respond to emergencies by ratify and comply with the related international
conventions and protocols adopted by International Maritime Organization
(IMO), MARPOL 73/78. Moreover, the promotion of regional cooperation is
vital in order to ensure safe, secure and efficient shipping activities in the
coastal region of Iraq (IMO, PSC, 2014). Another important convention is
the international convention on oil pollution preparedness; response and
cooperation (OPRC) enter into force on may1995. Parties to this convention
are obliged to set up measures for dealing with oil pollution incidents,
either nationally or in cooperation with other countries in the region.
Furthermore, a Protocol to the OPRC concerning hazardous and noxious

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substances (OPRC-HNS Protocol) was adopted by IMO in 2000 (imo.org,
2014).

Air pollution

The maritime sector is a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas
emission particularly carbon dioxide Co2, sulphur oxides Sox, nitrogen
oxide NOx and hydrocarbons (Fig 1). Emissions arise from the combustion
of bunker fuel in ship engine and are emitted to the air. In addition, the
release of volatile organic compound from the cargo tanks of oil tankers.
Therefore, maritime sector is considered as a significant contributor to
climate change (imo.org, 2014).

Figure.1 Air Pollution from ship

Source: www.imo.org

According to the ICCT (2007), pollutant originated from shipping activities

have been linked to adverse public health such as increased risk of
premature death resulted from respiratory and pulmonary illness. In
addition, air pollution from ship emission leads to acid rain and the
deterioration of ozone layer.

Annex VI of the international convention for the prevention pollution from

ships (MARPOL) seek to control gas emission from ships. This annex
enters into force May 2005 and revised on July 2010 with significant
emission limits.

Sewage and Garbage Disposal from ships

Annex V of MARPOL contain regulation covering the disposal of garbage

from ships. Annex IV of the international convention of prevention pollution
from ships (MARPO) contain regulation regarding discharging of sewage

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into the sea water only after treatment by approved sewage treatment plant
installed onboard the ship (imo.org, 2014).

Ballast water

Ballast water normally used to stabilize vessels and to maintain safe

operation for ships (Fig 2). It reduces stresses on the ship’s hull and makes
propulsion more efficient. At the load port (Fig 3) ballast water along with
organisms are discharged into an alien environment. These organisms
become invasive; toxic and dominant component of the invaded biota, and
cause serious economic damage which threaten the ecological balance in
the invaded regions. The transported ballast water may replace or cause
extinction of indigenous species and disrupt the ecosystem. The
characteristics of invasive species are wide spread distribution, early
maturation, reproductive capability and wide physiological tolerances.
Therefore, Invasive alien marine species threaten biodiversity, human
health and marine industries particularly fishing industry. The threat of
alien marine species is unlike oil spills only get worse with time. The
success of alien species introduction depends on several factors such as
abundance of food sources, lack of natural predator and the habitat
characteristics with better tolerance of pollution (J. Smith, 2010).

Figure 2 Ballast Water operation stages

Source: www.tc.gc.ca

The unintentional release of ballast water from ships are recognized as a

major driver of ecosystem change and expected to contribute in the
deterioration of ecosystem services and species extinction. It is estimated
that more than 10,000 species each day to be in transit around the world
via the ballast water. The source of ballast water may be fresh, salt or
brackish water. Consequently, all water ways are at risk. In addition, the
introduction of alien species may change the origin food web and effect

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human health (EMSA, 2014). These alien species can cause negative
changes for example;

Figure 3 Ballast Water from Ship Contaminating Marine Environment

Source: The Daily Star

American comb jelly (Fig 4) which carried by ballast water from North
America are considered the most important threat to black sea. These alien
species consume huge quantities of fish eggs, larvae and zooplankton the
commercial fish feed on.

Fig 4 American jellyfish (Mnemiopsis Leidyi)

Source: www.eurekalert.org

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These alien species cause losses in fish market which estimated to be 240
million dollar annually (IMO, UNDP, 2010). Another example for alien
species called the Zebra mussels (Fig 5), the Caspian -sea native mussels
have been transported to the great lakes through ballast water. These
mussels spread rapidly to all of the great lakes and water ways in many
states in the US besides Ontario and Quebec. Older zebra often attached
themselves to hard surfaces such as piling, water intakes pipes. Moreover,
Zebra mussels disturb echo system and cause serious threat to native wild
life. Also cause serious economic impacts and severely restricting the
water flow. Zebra mussels’ food is the same for larval fish and other native
species. Therefore, huge zebra mussels’ population causes an extensive
threat to other native animals. Moreover, studies show that bio-invasion
rate is increasing and new regions are being invaded. These alien species
has direct and indirect health effect (National atlas.gov, 2013).

Figure 5 Zebra Mussels on stick

Source: National atlas.gov

Ballast water is capable of carrying bacterial pathogens; including the

bacteria that cause the Cholera and can carry invasive alien species that
are intermediate host for parasites affecting human health such as Chinese
mitten crab that has invaded Europe is an intermediate host of the human
liver fluke (Bloomberg Sustainability, 2012).

Global Response

Ballast Water Management

United Nation convention on the law of the sea furnishes the global frame
work by obliging states to work together to prevent, reduce and control

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human caused pollution of the marine environment. Thus, to prevent and
eliminate the risk of introduction of harmful aquatic organism by ships,
International Maritime organization adopted the international convention
for the control and management of ballast water from ship 2004 and the
new ballast water management which become effective on 21june2012.
Therefore, preventing the transfer of invasive alien species requires
cooperation among governments, economic sectors and non-governmental
organization. (IMO, BWM, 2014).

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted guidelines for

eliminating the introduction of alien species from ships ballast water
(MEPC, Resolution 50(31). In addition, the introduction of invasive aliens
recognized as a major International concern by United Nation Conference
of Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro 1992.
Furthermore, a significant progress made forward to protect marine
environment by adopting the International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ships ballast water and sediment 2004 and Resolution
MEPC-173(50) Oct 2008. All these resolutions provide procedures to ensure
that the ballast water carried by ships does not impose harmful risk to the
marine environment, human health, property and resources. The
convention emphasizes on ballast water exchange or ballast treatment. The
treatment technology of ballast water is consisting of solid liquid
separation and disinfection. In order to remove the solid material from
ballast tank, it’s preferable to use mechanical devices and filtration. A
disinfection method is normally used to remove or keep the micro-
organisms inactive. The disinfection achieved either by using chemical,
irradiation with ultraviolet or using inert gas system to displace the
dissolved oxygen (IMO, BWM, 2014).

This introduction and spread of alien species are serious threat to the
conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem function, and already created
heavy cost on international society. Therefore, immediate legal measures
should be taken for the protection of marine environment. An
administrative and legal legislation in accordance to international rules is
needed to be adopted in order to protect Iraqi marine environment and to
prevent pollution from ships especially from ships engaged in
transportation of dangerous goods. However, cooperation among regional
countries is essential to manage the threat effectively.

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Port Authority and Port State Control Inspection

The role of Port Authority is to enforce law and security in the port. Port
authority relies on international and national rules to assure safety,
security and environment protection. PSC is the inspection of foreign ships
in national port to verify that the condition of the ship and its equipment
comply with the requirements of international regulation and that the ship
is operated and manned in compliance with these rules. International
maritime organization encourages the regional co-ordination in port state
control inspection on basis that vessel call one port probably will visit
another port in the region. Therefore, PSC is a “safety net” to reduce or
eliminate the risk from ship especially oil, air and water ballast pollution
(imo.org, 2014). Likewise, rules and regulation should be legislated to
govern shipping and port activities and to assure safety, security,
efficiency and to protect environment. Inspection should take place on
board ships during the stay in the port to ensure that the ship meet
international safety requirements and environmental standard.

Conclusion

Marine pollution affects the ecosystem and severely threats the quality of
life. Thus, oil, plastic, toxic chemicals and contaminated water ballast
should never be released into Iraqi territorial waters. In addition, regulation
to control harmful emission from ships exhaust has to be adopted.
Tighter restriction are needed, regulation should be legislated according to
international rules to govern all types of pollution from ships. A fine should
impose on generators, transporter and persons who dispose of any kind of
pollutant substances into Iraqi waters. A clear protection strategy is
needed which emphasize on the importance of effective measures to
prevent, eliminates, or reduces different kind of pollution. In addition, more
environmental awareness is necessary. A clear strategy needed to prevent,
detect, eradicate, control and mitigate the threat of alien species and the
other pollution affects. Furthermore, Iraq has to ratify the international
conventions related to the protection of marine environment. Much more
work need to be done to protect our country from the effect of all types of
pollution from ships.

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References:

Bloomberg Sustainability, (2012). Cholera Risk Mean Mounting Costs for

Hapag-Lloyd. www.bloomberg.com

European Maritime Safety Agency, (2014).Ballast Water back ground of the

issue www.emsa.europa.eu

IMO, UNDP, (2010). Economic Assesment for Ballast Water Management;

Guidlline. www.Data.iucn.org

International Bird Rescue, (2014). How Oil Affects Bird, www.bird-

rescue.org

International Council of Clean Transportation, (2007). Air Pollution and

Greenhouse Gas Emission from Ocean-going Ship, www.theicct.org

International Maritime Organization, (2014). Ballast Water Management,

www.imo.org

International Maritime Organization, (2014). Port State Control,

www.imo.org

International Maritime Organization, (2014). Prevention of Air Pollution from

Ships, www.imo.org

International Tanker Owner Pollution Federation, (2011). Effects of Oil

Pollution on the Marine Environment. www.itopf.com UK.

United Nation Environment Program, (2013) Shipping and sea based

pollution, www.unep.ch/regionalseas/

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