Belgium has become the 48th member state to ratify the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, bringing this key regulation within sight of meeting entry into force criteria.
The Convention’s aim is to prevent the spread of harmful and invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water. Importantly, the BWM Convention requires ships to have procedures in place for ballast water management. The entry into force of this Convention will open the flood gates to ship owners investing in ballast water management technology for their vessels.
The BWM Convention will enter into force 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35% of world merchant shipping tonnage. With the accession by Belgium, the number of States currently (as of March 7, 2016) stands at 48, with an aggregate of 34.82% of the world’s merchant fleet tonnage (based on global tonnage data as at end-February 2016).
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim encouraged other States that had not already done so, to ratify both the BWM in order to bring it into force.
H.E. Mr. Guy Trouveroy, Ambassador of Belgium to the United Kingdom, handed over the instruments of accession during a meeting with Secretary-General Lim at the Ambassador’s residence in London.
