IMO BWM Convention Brought into Force

IMO's BWM Convention came into force today. Image Credit: IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) today brought the long-awaited Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention into force.

The BWM Convention requires ships to manage their ballast water to remove, render harmless, or avoid the uptake or discharge of aquatic organisms and pathogens within their ballast water and sediments.

"This is a landmark step towards halting the spread of invasive aquatic species, which can cause havoc for local ecosystems, affect biodiversity and lead to substantial economic loss," said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim.

"The requirements which enter into force today mean that we are now addressing what has been recognised as one of the greatest threats to the ecological and the economic well-being of the planet."

As Ship & Bunker has reported, IMO's 71st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee  (MEPC 71) moved to extend compliance dates for the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention for existing vessels.

MEPC 71 decided that ships constructed after September 8, 2017 must comply on delivery with the BWM Convention, while existing vessels in general will have until the first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey after September 8, 2019.

Earlier this week, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) called on shipowners, equipment manufacturers, and governments to cooperate to ensure the proper implementation of the new BWM rules.

"The industry may collectively need to spend around 100 billion U.S. dollars in order to install the new ballast water treatment systems that will be required by law. We therefore have to get this right," said Esben Poulsson, Chairman of ICS.

As Ship & Bunker has previously reported, 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.