Panama has become the latest member State to accede to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the BWM Convention), bringing the total tonnage of global shipping covered by the treaty to 53.28%, with 53 Contracting Parties.
Jorge Barakat Pitty, Minister of Maritime Affairs of Panama, presented the Panama’s instrument of accession to the Ballast Water Management Convention to IMO Secretary General Lim on Wednesday October 19, 2016.
The BWM Convention is due to enter into force on September 8, 2017 and will require ships to utilise a ballast water management system (BWMS) in order to prevent the transfer of species to their non-native environments.
Panama is the largest flag State globally in terms of tonnage, with 18.02% of world merchant shipping tonnage.
“I am heartened by the fact we now have more than half of the world merchant shipping tonnage signed up to this treaty, which will not only minimise the risk of invasions by alien species via ballast water, it will also provide a global level playing field for international shipping, setting clear and robust standards for the management of ballast water on ships”, Mr. Lim commented.
“I now encourage other States which have not yet ratified the treaty to do so as soon as possible, in order to ensure that the greatest percentage of the world fleet as possible will be subject to the treaty’s terms upon its entry into force in September 2017”, Mr. Lim added.
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