Some US states have introduced additional state specific ballast water management requirements for vessels calling at ports in those states. The Club has summarised the main additional requirements for some of these states for our Members' reference and guidance.
‘Safety4Sea’ a maritime safety and environmental portal, aim to highlight environmental awareness specifically focusing on practices to create a ‘Greener’ industry.
On 7 March 2016, Belgium became the 48th country to ratify the Ballast Water Management Convention. The accession of Belgium brings the aggregate percentage of the world's merchant fleet tonnage to 34.82.
IMO: Criteria for entry into force of BWM Convention not yet reached - further ratifications needed
21/01/2016
Further to the UK P&I Club's recent update on the BWMC 2004, the IMO confirmed on the 18th January 2016 that forty-seven countries have now ratified the convention, substantially more than the 30 required, but their combined fleets comprise, at most, 34.56 per cent of global tonnage, the 35% global tonnage required for the Convention to enter into force has yet to be attained.
BWMC 2004 - Outstanding regulatory and compliance issues continue to place ship owners in a dilemma
05/01/2016
Navigate the challenges of Ballast Water Management compliance with insights on IMO and US regulations
Ukraine - Ballast Water Sampling
06/04/2015
Important update for vessels with segregated ballast tanks in Ukraine: Changes in the law mean ecological inspectors are no longer permitted to board or sample ballast water
The Coast Guard's Final Rule on the Standards for Living Organisms in Ship's Ballast Water Discharged in U.S
Navigate ballast water regulations smoothly with insights on USCG extensions
Get the latest update on ballast water management regulations in California
The USCG's Ballast Water Discharge Standard Regulation which came into effect on 21st June 2012, required vessels to install Coast Guard "type-approved" ballast water management systems pursuant to the implementation schedule below. According to the schedule, a vessel with a ballast water capacity of between 1500 - 5000 m3 must implement an approved ballast water management method by her first scheduled drydocking after 1st January 2014.
The United States Coast Guard has recently posted two useful updates to its resource page on ballast water management. Its extensive list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the subject clarifies topics ranging from the definition and applicability of ballast water standards through to type approval of ballast water management systems. These FAQs were augmented and updated on the 5th April.