STOP PRESS ADVICE 1B/2016
January 2016
DISCUSSING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF SHIPS’ BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENTS (BWM CONVENTION) IN SPAIN
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) was approved on 2004 by International Maritime Organization in order to control the environmental impact of ballast waters.
In spite that ballast waters system is necessary, sea water exchange from different geographical areas can have negative consequences, as the inclusion of different species that could severely alter the marine environment they are introduced to.
It has been calculated that approximately 7.000 species are transported daily in ballast waters, including species such as zebra mussel, red jellyfish and even cholera.
In order to control the environmental impact of ballast waters, the International Maritime Organization has recognized more than 40 different systems for ballast water treatment, with technics which include several kind of treatments: mechanical, physical and chemical. These systems eliminate many organisms that are returned to the sea through the ballast water.
This Convention will come into entrance 12 months after the signature of 30 States, which must represent 35% of world’s fleet tonnage.
So far, 42 States have signed the BWM Convention – Spain is amongst these signatory countries – which represent the 32, 53% of the world’s fleet tonnage and for this reason, the required number of signatory countries could be soon achieved, as well as the entrance of the BWM Convention.
If this happens, ship owners will have to install ballast water equipment’s. The average cost per vessel is calculated in two million euros, -in Spain-. It will be mandatory for each vessel to have a ballast water treatment plan, a Registration Book for ballast water, an International Pollution Prevention Certificate that indicates BWM Convention is being followed.
In order to analyze this situation and to know the possible measures to be applied, Valencia Port Foundation organized a Conference where different entities of the Spanish Maritime and Port sector have participated, as for example, members of the Naval Engineer College, Spanish Owners Association and the General Merchant Marine Direction.
INDECO assisted to the conference to be informed of the steps that are going to be taken for the forthcoming application of the BWM Convention in Spain.
