The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted The Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention) which entered into force globally on 8 September 2017.
It applies to ships registered under contracting Parties to the BWM Convention, which take up and use ballast water during international voyages, in order to help prevent the spread of potentially harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships’ ballast water.
From the date of entry into force, ships in international traffic are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast water management plan. Ships have to carry:
- Ballast water management plan
- Ballast water record book
- International Ballast Water Management Certificate
BWM Convention introduces two standards for the handling of discharged ballast water:
- The D-1 standard covers ballast water exchange
- The D-2 standard covers ballast water treatment.
This regulation will come into force in September 2024 and will oblige all ships to comply with the above standards.