Ballast Water Management Convention

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments – more commonly known as the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention – was adopted by IMO in 2004. It requires all ships of 400 GT and above trading internationally to manage their ballast water and sediments to certain standards and maintain a ship-specific ballast water management plan. The BWM Convention was introduced to help prevent the spread of potentially harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships’ ballast water.

There are two ballast water management performance standards, the D-1 and D-2. The standards of D-1 require ships to exchange their ballast water in open seas, away from coastal areas. The distance ships should do this is at least 200 nautical miles from land and in water which is as least  200 meters deep. The second standard is D-2, which specifies the maximum number of viable organisms allowed to be discharged, including specified indicator microbes harmful to human health.

No, the treaty is accepted by more than 91 countries, as of February 2022. This represents more than 92% of world merchant shipping tonnage.

The problem arises when a vessel’s ballast water contains marine life. The transfer of invasive marine species into new environments via ships’ ballast water has been identified as a significant environmental threat. Failure to comply can result in severe penalties and fines. The IMO BWM Convention states in Article 8 that a vessel violating the convention could be subject to action by both the Flag State and the country in which it took place. Penalties and sanctions will therefore be determined by the relevant jurisdiction. In the United States, federal penalties are addressed in 33 CFR Part 151 (Subpart D) and state that a person who violates is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $35,000. A vessel could very well be subject to additional penalties imposed by the US State in which the violation occurred. Talk to North’s ballast water management specialists today, to help you better understand the issues.

There are several types of treatment systems available on the market or currently in development –  mechanical, physical and chemical, or a combination of all. The most common methods are: (1) filter and ultraviolet, (2) filter and electrolysis, (3) filter and chemical injection, (4) ozone and inert gas and ultrasonic. Choosing the right treatment system is not simple. With the limited number of currently available treatment systems to achieve both IMO and USCG type approval, shipowners have a very difficult decision to make. You can find out more on the available systems here.