Entry into Force of the Ballast Water Management Convention
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (“the BWM Convention”) will enter into force on 8 September 2017.
The BWM Convention was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2004. Accession by Finland on 8 September 2016 satisfied the entry into force conditions and the BWM Convention will enter into force 12 months after the said date, namely, on 8 September 2017. The objective of the BWM Convention is, by managing ships’ ballast water and sediments, to avoid destruction of local ecosystems which can be caused by spreading invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water and resulting economic loss.
On or after 8 September 2017, all ships of 400 gross tons and above shall be surveyed and have international ballast water management certificates on board in accordance with the BWM Convention. Further, ships constructed before 8 September 2017 will have to install a ballast water management system (BWMS) by their first renewal survey after that date and ships constructed after that date will have to install a BWMS upon delivery.
Considering that the IMO has not yet completed reviewing and revising the approval guidelines for BWMS while the entry into force date has been fixed, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) has commented that it will be uncertain when an owner will be able to install BWMS to be approved under the revised guidelines. INTERTANKO is also concerned about possible situation where BWMS approved by IMO may not be approved in the US.
For the Members’ reference, Press News by IMO and INTERTANKO regarding the entry into force of the BWM Convention are as below.
IMO Press Briefing: 22 dated 8 September 2016
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/22-BWM-.aspx
INTERTANKO Press Release dated 8 September 2016