Overcoming challenges facing Polar Silk Road

Ballast water is dangerous for the Arctic environment since it contains a variety of invasive species that constitute a menace to the fragile flora and fauna in the Arctic and can displace local organisms and creatures, thus changing the whole structure of the feeding system.

Implementing China's vision of a Polar Silk Road, therefore, requires solutions for ballast water treatment in order to make Arctic entrance for Chinese industries smooth and profitable. Ballast water management on the route from China to Europe has to address the issues of how to dispose of, how to clean and what mechanisms to apply in order to avoid illegal ballast water discharge in the Arctic.

The first two points raise concerns over additional fee charges in destination ports if ballast water be released under special procedures. This forces interested parties to find solutions under multilateral talks within Arctic Council. The third point highlights the importance of sensor technology that should be mandatory on every commercial carrier that plans to operate in the Arctic to send real-time data to deter violations.