Ballast water: practical guidelines
Although last September the Ballast water convention was ratified, a lot of discussions are ongoing with regard to the effectivity of the systems on the market, and the test methods used.
During the recent PPR4 meeting in London, a sub-committee completed the “Ballast Water Management – How to do it?” – manual, which is expected to be finalized and approved by MEPC 71.
The manual provides advise on the process of ratification, implementation and enforcement of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BMW Convention), which will enter into force on the 8th of September this year.The manual gives useful practical information to governments, particularly those of developing countries, administrations, ship owners, port state control authorities, environmental agencies and other stakeholders on the implications of ratifying, implementing and enforcing the BWM convention.
The aim is to encourage the further ratification and effective implementation and enforcement of the Convention. Currently, the BWM convention has been ratified by 54 countries, representing 53,30% of the world merchant shipping tonnage.
Guidance on determining viability of organisms agreed.
The sub-committee agrees on a draft of guidance on methodologies that may be used for enumerating viable organisms, for approval by MEPC 71.
The guidance provides information on methodologies used for enumerating viable organisms during the type approval of ballast water management systems, in order to verify that they meet the ballast water performance standard as per regulation D-2 of the BWM convention.
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