IMO continues work on the Ballast Water Management Convention at MEPC 80

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (the BWM Convention) is intended to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another and damage to the marine environment from ballast water discharge, by minimising the uptake and subsequent discharge of sediments and organisms.

The Convention entered into force globally on 8 September 2017 and requires signatory Flag States to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with standards and procedures for the management and control of ships’ ballast water and sediments by requiring all ships to implement a Ballast Water Management Plan, carry a Ballast Water Record Book, and carry out Ballast Water Management (BWM) procedures to a given standard.