Work to implement IMO’s Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention in developing countries is underway in Zagreb, Croatia this week, with two training activities under IMO’s GloBallast project. A seminar looking at risk assessment, and inventories of marine life in and around commercial ports – a concept also known as Port Biological Baseline Surveys – concludes today (17 November).
Marine biologists, Port State Control Officers and maritime authorities from Croatia, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan and Nigeria are discussing issues including exemptions, ship targeting for compliance monitoring and enforcement and the development of decision support systems. The activity is co-organized with the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of Croatia, REMPEC and PERSGA.
Earlier this week (14-15 November) the first
Croatia-GloBallast National Global Industry Alliance (GIA) Seminar provided an update on the implementation status of the
Convention by all stakeholders involved - including ship owners, Member States, BWM system
manufacturers and testing organisations. More than 100 international participants and
speakers took part in the event, which was organized by GloBallast, the GIA, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and
Infrastructure of Croatia and the Croatian Shipowners Association - CSA Mare Nostrum.
The BWM Convention is designed to reduce the transfer of potentially harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships’ ballast water and will enter into force on 8 September 2017.