Ship illegally dumped ballast in Yangtze Estuary

By Ma Yue | March 24, 2014, Monday |

Online Edition

A LARGE cargo ship registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was caught illegally discharging ballast water at the Yangtze River estuary, Shanghai Wusong Marine Bureau said.

The ship was spotted discharging light red water from the stern into the estuary by the bureau’s patrol aircraft at 2pm on Sunday. The ship captain admitted that the emission was to adjust the draught of the vessel, officials said.

Discharging ballast water into a nearshore sea area is against China’s anti-pollution management regulations for vessels, as well as international marine environmental protection laws.

Ballast water, held for a long time in the bowels of a vessel, may contain invasive species and paint residue or other pollutants, and poses risks to the aquatic environment.

The case is still under investigation, and further punitive measures are anticipated after analysis of the ballast water and the quantity discharged.

The cargo ship is registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small country of islands in the Caribbean Sea, but the ship’s name, the owner and the owner’s nationality were not disclosed.

Metro

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Ship illegally dumped ballast in Yangtze Estuary

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