Abstract

RAMIREZ COBRALES, Fabián. The International Regime of Ballast Water: Actors, Institutions and Interests. Pap.polit. [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.1, pp.299-323. ISSN 0122-4409.

The ship ballast water is considered to be like the most important vector for the transoceanic displacement from coastal native organisms of superficial waters to new marine environments. It has been believed that annually there are transferred over 3 to 5 billion tons of ballast water on a global scale. It raises a serious environmental international risk. Nevertheless, countries have adopted different policies to attend to the problem. Consequently, this article wonders why of the states negotiating positions and for the factors that realize the results obtained concerning the construction of the international ballast water regime. By focusing on the interest-based explanation of international environmental policy proposed by Sprinz and Vaahtoranta (1994), it explains why some countries act as pushers for reducing the marine bioinvasion problem while other countries act as draggers.

Keywords : International Regime; Ballast Water; National Interests; International politics; Political geography; Regional cooperation; Environmental policy; Marine environment.

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