Belgium Ratifies Ballast Water Management Convention

Despite Belgium's ratification of the BWM Convention, the agreement still falls shy of the required tonnage for entry into force.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Monday announced that Belgium has ratified the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, edging the agreement closer to meeting the entry into force criteria.

Following Belgium's ratification, Fiji is said to have put forth its accession to the BWM Convention on Tuesday, bringing the total number of states party to the agreement to 49, although with aggregate tonnage remaining at 34.82 percent, participation is still short of the required 35 percent of the world's merchant fleet tonnage for entry into force.

As Ship & Bunker reported in October, some analysts believe that tanker rates could get a further boost as tonnage is taken out of service for special surveys or dry docking ahead of the BWM Convention's implementation.

In addition to its ratification of the BWM Convention, Belgium is also said to have deposited its instrument of accession to the Hong Kong Ship Recycling Convention (Hong Kong Convention) on Monday, becoming the fourth contracting state to become party to the treaty, still short of the required 15 states with at least 40 percent of world merchant shipping by gross tonnage for entry into force.

Upon Belgium's action, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim reiterated his encouragement for other states that have not already done so, to ratify both the BWM and Hong Kong Conventions.

Meanwhile, Fiji is also said to have acceded to five other treaties Tuesday, including the Protocol of 1978 relating to the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, and the International Conventions on Salvage, Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships, and the International Mobile Satellite Organization.

In July, Lui Naisara, deputy secretary for Fiji's Ministry of Transport, urged the ratification of the Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution, saying it would enable full compensation to the country for pollution damage caused by marine fuel spills.