Indonesia has become the latest flag state to sign the Ballast Water Management (BWM) convention, an act which may finally secure the 35% of tonnage needed to bring it into force. The Asian nation signed the convention on 24th November, a mere day after Morocco also signed on and pushed the support to 32.93% of world tonnage.
At time of press, the IMO was yet to confirm if the tonnage from the 46th flag state signatory was enough to tip the convention in to force. The GEF-UNDP-IMO GloBallast Partnerships Programme has advised that tonnage figures are currently being updated with latest 2015 data.
“The figures are very close, formal verification process will conclude as soon as possible. Announcement ASAP,” IMO has reported.
Industry opinion is split as to whether Indonesia has sufficient tonnage, but a number of sources have indicated that there is a 47th signatory in the pipeline that is expected to sign up this week. Unofficial sources have informed that Finland is most likely to be the rumoured flag state, meaning that the convention will finally enter into force.
The BWM convention’s entry into force will ensure that all ships (regardless of size) that are designed to carry dischargeable ballast water, must install and implement a ballast water management system at the first renewal survey.
Indonesia has become the latest country to ratify the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The BWM Convention requires ships to have procedures in place for BWM as it aims to prevent the spread of harmful and invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water.
Mr Ignasius Jonan, Indonesia’s minister of transportation ratified the convention during the 29th session of the IMO Assembly on 24 November.
Indonesia’s agreement comes after capacity-building projects which were undertaken by the IMO in collaboration with the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency and the support of the Globallast project.
Morocco’s ratification on November 23 brought the count to 32.93% of the world tonnage, meaning the convention is very close to formal verification.
It will come into force 12 months after the date on which up to 30 IMO member states, which represent a total of 35% of the world’s tonnage, ratify it.
Previous to Indonesia’s approval, 44 countries had already signed up but are still 2.07% off the tonnage quota.
With the convention edging ever closer to ratification, Damen’s manager of Ballast Water Treatment, Gert-Jan Oude Egberink, spoke to GreenPort about the implications it contains for the 60,000 vessels that will be affected and urged those involved to be ready when ratification comes.
