**6. The loss of Russian scientists in Arctic research**

Protection of the environment is a global effort, where experts through effective and established and hopefully ethical methods put forth efforts to collaborate on sharing information on keeping environments safe whether it is space, land, or sea. This is why it is concerning that reports such as, "Russian and Western scientists no longer collaborate in the Arctic" [33] are quite disturbing. This situation is one of the direct results of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is submitted that from an international perspective policies ought to be developed concerning matters where the common interests of mankind are not abandoned to the extent of ignoring environmental protection since it is in the immediate interest of all, whether in conflict or not to continue collaborating on threat prevention efforts to protect the environment. For conflicting nations, basic survival takes precedence over all other interests that are understood however it is submitted in this paper that such situations should be treated in a special manner at the international level.

The maritime world is a global, interlinked one therefore having considered the impact of war on scientific minds, it is essential that we briefly consider ballast water management and impacts of other trade regions as a way of random global sampling in order to have a clearer perspective on some of the latest issues around ballast water management in the world. We will be considering Ballast Water management around Antarctica and the ancient trade route of the Mediterranean Sea, all areas where scientific minds globally have contributed.

### **6.1 Ballast water in the Antarctic region**

It is important to note that the BWM 2004 Convention applies to the Antarctic region. There is also an important document in the form of the Antarctic Treaty, 1959 which guides the use, exploration and exploitation of the Antarctic. While dynamics of Antarctica are different from those of the Arctic in that the Antarctic is not a populous area with attractive shipping lanes for trade. However, due to untreated ballast water being introduced in the area, researchers also warn of the dangers of foreign waters being introduced together with AIS into the Antarctic Treaty region [34]. Authors, Dulière et al. in a scientific experiment running along a 9-year period conducted along the location of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, evidence of the introduction of AIS from ballast water can be overcome by encouraging ships to exchange foreign ballast water at least 200 nautical miles from the Antarctic region. This is the observance of the D1 standard of the BWM 2004 Treaty. This clearly means that the risk is extremely serious for the environmental future of the region and it will be essential for international parties to tighten sanctions for offending parties who traverse this region and pollute with impunity.

## **6.2 Ballast water in the ancient trade route of the Mediterranean Sea region**

In a cutting-edge, very first study of its kind in the Mediterranean Sea conducted by Matej et al. [35], a sampling of 15 ships calling at the Port of Koper, Slovenia showed that ballast water management and the sometimes irreversible effects and

damage on the environment are still very serious issues, particularly for a trade rouse as busy as the Mediterranean Sea shipping lanes. The results of the experiment showed that invasive species were being introduced with shipping as a vector, however, this was prior to the compliance and technological methods introduced by the coming into force of the BWM 2004. As part of ongoing research and monitoring, it would be very interesting what a repeat of this experiment might produce following the coming into force of the ballast water treaty.
