Given here are the speeches spoken at the opening ceremony of the international conference on Marine Invasive Species: Management of ballast water and other vectors, 17–19 February 2014, Muscat, Oman (Figure 1).
The damages caused by ballast water discharge on marine life, fish and human health, the use of beaches for recreational purposes, and other effects, have prompted study of the technical and legal means to prevent such threats. The continuation of vessel discharges of polluted ballast water, including oil, dirty bilge water and potentially invasive species, particularly along the Omani coast, have prompted the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs to call for this conference in cooperation with Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society: one of the experts in this field.
It is my pleasure to welcome all of you as we open this important conference, held in cooperation and collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and...
