Implementing the Ballast Water Management Convention

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention), entered into force globally on 8 ... TheInternationalConventionfortheControlandManagementofShips'BallastWaterandSediments,2004(BWMConvention),enteredintoforcegloballyon8September2017.IMOrespondsbelowtofrequentlyaskedquestionsabouttheBWMConventionanditsprovisions,andwhattheentryintoforcemeansforinternationalshipping. Clickheretolearnmoreaboutballastwater.  ClickheretodownloadtheFAQtext.  Clickheretoreadtheinfographic"ComplyingwiththeBallastWaterManagementConvention".   FrequentlyAskedQuestions WhatistheBallastWaterManagementConvention?TheBallastWaterManagementConventionorBWMConvention(fullnameInternationalConventionfortheControlandManagementofShips'BallastWaterandSediments,2004)isatreatyadoptedbytheInternationalMaritimeOrganization(IMO)inordertohelppreventthespreadofpotentiallyharmfulaquaticorganismsandpathogensinships'ballastwater.From8September2017,shipsmustmanagetheirballastwatersothataquaticorganismsandpathogensareremovedorrenderedharmlessbeforetheballastwaterisreleasedintoanewlocation.Thiswillhelppreventthespreadofinvasivespeciesaswellaspotentiallyharmfulpathogens.IMOistheUnitedNationsspecializedagencywithresponsibilityfordevelopingglobalstandardsforshipsafetyandsecurityandfortheprotectionofthemarineenvironmentandtheatmospherefromanyharmfulimpactsofshipping. WhendidtheBWMConventionenterintoforce?TheBWMConventionenteredintoforcegloballyon8September2017. Whichshipsdoestheconventionapplyto?TheconventionappliestoshipsregisteredundercontractingPartiestotheBWMConvention,whichtakeupanduseballastwaterduringinternationalvoyages. Whataboutshipsregisteredunderaflagwhichhasn'tratifiedtheBWMConvention?Suchshipsmaynotbeissuedwiththerelevantcertificates.However,portStateswhicharePartieswillexpecttheshipstocomplywiththerequirementsoftheConvention,soastoensurenomorefavourabletreatmentisgiventosuchships. Whatdoshipsneedtodo,nowthetreatyisinforce?Fromthedateofentryintoforce,shipsininternationaltrafficarerequiredtomanagetheirballastwaterandsedimentstoacertainstandard,accordingtoaship-specificballastwatermanagementplan.Shipshavetocarry:Anballastwatermanagementplan-specifictoeachship,theballastwatermanagementplanincludesadetaileddescriptionoftheactionstobetakentoimplementtheballastwatermanagementrequirementsandsupplementalballastwatermanagementpractices;Aballastwaterrecordbook-torecordwhenballastwateristakenonboard;circulatedortreatedforballastwatermanagementpurposes;anddischargedintothesea.Itshouldalsorecordwhenballastwaterisdischargedtoareceptionfacilityandaccidentalorotherexceptionaldischargesofballastwater;andAnInternationalBallastWaterManagementCertificate-(shipsof400gtandabove)–thisisissuedbyoronbehalfoftheAdministration(flagState)andcertifiesthattheshipcarriesoutballastwatermanagementinaccordancewiththeBWMConventionandspecifieswhichstandardtheshipiscomplyingwith,aswellasthedateofexpiryoftheCertificate. Whataretheballastwatermanagementstandards?Therearetwoballastwatermanagementstandards(D-1andD-2).TheD-1standardrequiresshipstoexchangetheirballastwaterinopenseas,awayfromcoastalareas.Ideally,thismeansatleast200nauticalmilesfromlandandinwateratleast200metresdeep.Bydoingthis,fewerorganismswillsurviveandsoshipswillbelesslikelytointroducepotentiallyharmfulspecieswhentheyreleasetheballastwater. TheD-2standardspecifiesthemaximumamountofviableorganismsallowedtobedischarged,includingspecifiedindicatormicrobesharmfultohumanhealth. FromthedateofentryintoforceoftheBWMConvention,allshipsmustconformtoatleasttheD-1standard;andallnewships,totheD-2standard. Eventually,allshipswillhavetoconformtotheD-2standard.Formostships,thisinvolvesinstallingspecialequipmenttotreattheballastwater. IMOMemberGovernments,meetingintheMarineEnvironmentProtectionCommittee(MEPC),haveagreedanimplementationtimetableforexistingships,linkedtotheship'sInternationalOilPollutionPreventionCertificate(IOPPC)renewalsurvey. Whatdoesthenewscheduleforimplementationsay?Inessence,thescheduleforimplementationwhichhasbeenagreedbytheMEPCmeansthatcompliancewiththeD-2standardwillbephasedinovertimeforindividualships,upto8September2024.Overtime,moreandmoreshipswillbecompliantwiththeD-2standard.(Seetheinfographic) From8September2017: NewshipsmustmeettheD-2standard.Allshipsmusthave:aballastwatermanagementplan,aballastwaterrecordbookandanInternationalBallastWaterManagementCertificate.ExistingshipsmustmeetatleasttheD-1(ballastwaterexchange)standard;theymayalsochoosetoinstallaballastwatermanagementsystemorotherwisemeettheD-2(discharge)standardbutthisisnotmandatoryuntilthecorrespondingcompliancedate.IOPPCRenewalsurveyafter8September2019-Ashipundergoingarenewalsurveylinkedtotheship'sInternationalOilPollutionPreventionCertificateafter8September2019willneedtomeettheD-2standardbythedateofthisrenewalsurvey.IOPPCRenewalsurveybetween8September2017and8September2019-IfthepreviousIOPPCrenewalsurveywasbetween8September2014and8September2017,thentheshipmustcomplywithD-2standardbythisrenewalsurvey.IfthepreviousIOPPCrenewalsurveywasbefore8September2014,thentheshipcanwaituntilthenextrenewalsurvey(whichwillbeafter8September2019). Whatiftheshipdoesn’thaveanIOPPCrenewalsurvey?TheshipshouldmeettheD-2standardatadatedeterminedbyitsflagState,butnotlaterthan8September2024. WhatistherealdifferencebetweentheD-1andD-2standards?ThedifferenceisthatD-1relatestoballastwaterexchange,whileD-2specifiesthemaximumamountofviableorganismsallowedtobedischarged,includingspecifiedindicatormicrobesharmfultohumanhealth.D-1standard-TheD-1standardrequiresshipstoconductanexchangeofballastwatersuchthatatleast95%ofwaterbyvolumeisexchangedfarawayfromthecoast.D-2standard-TheD-2standardspecifiesthatshipscanonlydischargeballastwaterthatmeetsthefollowingcriteria:lessthan10viableorganismspercubicmetrewhicharegreaterthanorequalto50micrometresinminimumdimension;lessthan10viableorganismspermillilitrewhicharebetween10micrometresand50micrometresinminimumdimension;lessthan1colony-formingunit(cfu)per100mililitresofToxicogenicVibriocholerae;lessthan250cfuper100millilitresofEscherichiacoli;andlessthan100cfuper100millilitersofIntestinalEnterococci. Howwillships’compliancebechecked?ShipsmaybesubjecttoportStatecontrolinanyportoroffshoreterminalofaPartytotheBWMConvention.ThisinspectionmayincludeverifyingthatthereisonboardavalidCertificateandanapprovedballastwatermanagementplan;inspectionoftheballastwaterrecordbook;and/orsamplingoftheship’sballastwater,carriedoutinaccordancewiththeGuidelinesforballastwatersampling(G2).However,thetimerequiredtoanalysethesamplesshallnotbeusedasabasisforundulydelayingtheoperation,movementordepartureoftheship. Howareballastwatermanagementsystemsapproved?RegulationD-3oftheConventioncoversapprovalrequirementsforballastwatermanagementsystems.BallastwatermanagementsystemsmustbeapprovedbytheAdministrationtakingintoaccountIMOGuidelines.RevisedGuidelinesforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystems(G8)wereadoptedin2016andhavenowbeenreworkedasadraftmandatoryCodeforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystems(BWMSCode),expectedtobeadoptedbyMEPC72inApril2018.TheBWMSCodeincludesrobusttestandperformancespecificationsaswellasdetailedrequirementsfortypeapprovalreportingandcontrolandmonitoringequipment.BallastwatermanagementsystemswhichmakeuseofActiveSubstancesorpreparationscontainingoneormoreActiveSubstancesmustinadditionbeapprovedbyIMO,inaccordancewiththeProcedureforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystemsthatmakeuseofActiveSubstances(G9). Whydidittakesolongforthetreatytoenterintoforce?EntryintoforceofthetreatywasdependentonenoughratificationsbyStates.ItisfairtosaythatsuitableballastwatermanagementsystemswerenotimmediatelyavailableandguidelinestosupporttheBWMconventionneededtobedeveloped.Buttheseissueshavenowbeenaddressed.TosupportratificationbyStatesaswellasresearchandinnovation,IMOexecutedtheGlobalEnvironmentFacility(GEF)-UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)-IMOGloBallastPartnershipsProgramme(2000-2017).Thissuccessfulprojectfocussedinparticularonassistingdevelopingcountriestoreducethetransferofharmfulaquaticorganismsandpathogensinships’ballastwaterandimplementtheBWMConvention.TheBWMConventionstipulatedthatitwouldenterintoforce12monthsafterratificationbyaminimumof30States,representing35%ofworldmerchantshippingtonnage.Thosecriteriawerereachedon8September2016,hencetheentryintoforceon8September2017. WilltherebeamendmentstotheBWMtreaty?TheMEPC72sessioninApril2018adoptedamendmentstotheBWMtreaty(regulationB-3)tomakemandatorythenewphase-inscheduleforshipstomeettheD-2standard.Also,MEPC72adoptedamendmentstotheBWMConvention(regulationsA-1andD-3)tomakemandatorytheCodeforapprovalofballastwatermanagementsystems(BWMSCode).TheBWMSCodewasalsoadopted.FurtheramendmentsrelatetosectionE(Surveyandcertification).Theamendmentscouldonlybeadoptedafterentryintoforce.SotheproposedamendmentswerecirculatedtoGovernmentsandwereputforwardforadoptionbyMEPC72inApril2018.Theywillenterintoforce18monthsfollowingadoption.MEPC71(July2017)alsoadoptedaresolutioncallingforthescheduleintheamendmentstobeimplementedimmediately. Willtherebeanyfurtheramendmentslateron?TheMEPChasrecognizedthatchallengesmaybeexpectedwiththeentryintoforceofanentirelynewtreaty.TheremaybeaneedforfutureimprovementstotheBWMConventioninthelightofexperiencegained.MEPC71adoptedanimportantMEPCresolution,on“theexperience-buildingphaseassociatedwiththeBWMConvention”.Thisenvisagesathree-stageapproach–datagathering;dataanalysis;andConventionreview.Basedontheexperienceandfeedbackgained,aswellastheanalysisofthedatagathered,draftamendmentstotheConventioncouldbeputforwardforconsiderationatMEPC79(in2022).Aswithotherinternationaltreaties,Partiesmayalsoproposeindividualamendmentsatanytime. HowmanycountrieshavesigneduptotheBWMtreaty?AsatSeptember2017,thetreatyhasbeenratifiedbymorethan60countries,representingmorethan70%ofworldmerchantshippingtonnage.Thisenvisagesathree-stageapproach–datagathering;dataanalysis;andConventionreview.Basedontheexperienceandfeedbackgained,aswellastheanalysisofthedatagathered,draftamendmentstotheConventioncouldbeputforwardforconsiderationatMEPC79(in2022). HotTopics