V stat'e obsuzhdayutsya problemy, svyazannye s pereoborudovaniem sudov i ustanovkoy na nikh oborudovaniya predotvrashchayushchego vnesenie opasnykh vodnykh ili patogennykh organizmov posredstvom sudovykh ballastnykh vod. Privodyatsya primery ispol'zuemykh v dannyy moment na sudakh sistemy obrabotki ballasta. Rassmatrivayutsya razlichnye puti i podkhody k resheniyu dannoy problemy udovletvoryayushchie trebovaniyam Mezhdunarodnoy Konventsii po upravleniyu ballastnymi vodami 2004g.