Ballast Water Management Convention to halt invasive aquatic species enters into force

The BWM Convention aimed at stopping the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species in ships' ballast water entered into force on 8 September 2017.

As the shipping industry continues to steer through the existing and looming environmental and regulatory landscape, stakeholders must continuously adapt and prepare for the new challenges.

Understanding and complying with ballast water management (BWM) requirements remains a significant barrier for many stakeholders. It is a complex area and no easy task to understand and implement all the different requirements internationally and in the US.

8 September 2019 was a historic day in the maritime calendar, with the ballast water management convention finally coming into force after several years of deliberations. Ship Owners now have a five-year timeframe (until September 2024) to meet the biological discharge standard. Most owners will do so by installing and operating ballast water management systems, with installations projected to peak in 2022.

Join us in our three-part "Ask an Expert" series, where Ansuman Ghosh, Director of Risk Assessment of UK Club discusses the key issues and challenges and listens to the experiences from the experts at SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company.

For more information please see the Club's Ask an Expert videos where there are three dedicated videos on the subject of ballast water management (BWM), or alternatively, please contact Jacqueline Tan (Jacqueline.tan@thomasmiller.com).