Role of risk based decision making in achieving ballast water policy goals in maritime transportation
Date
2010
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Introduction of non-indigenous species associated with maritime transportation vectors, through ballast water and fouling, is a significant problem affecting the social, economic, and environmental health of nations around the world. The devastating impacts of non-indigenous species introductions require effective policy intervention. Efforts at the international, national, and sub-national level to address the issue of non-indigenous species from vessel introductions result in a complex web of overlapping policies. Policy development to address non-indigenous species introductions informed by decision theory, environmental policy, and technology policy theory will result in more informed policies, better able to achieve the goal of stopping the spread of non-indigenous species introductions. The efforts to date have relied upon less than optimal behavioral solutions and one-size-fits all policies. Risk based decision-making offers an approach to support complex decision-making with imperfect information or multiple objectives, well suited for the development of non-indigenous species control policy. Through the application of risk based decision-making, non-indigenous species policies can be comprehensive, and they can efficiently reduce the impacts associated with non-indigenous species introductions.