The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) ship registry has established a dedicated ballast water management system (BWMS) team to advise on the installation of ballast systems and the timeframe for fitting systems in order to meet the requirements of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention.
In order to comply with the Convention, many vessels will need a type approved BWMS installed by the first renewal of the International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate. The RMI Registry allows an early renewal of the IOPP Certificate before the entry into force of the Convention, which allows five-years from that point for BWMS installation.
As there are no United States Coast Guard (USCG) type approved BWMSs, some ship owners may request an extension to fit their systems at the next dry-docking. It is expected that with the IOPP early renewal offered by the RMI Registry and the extension offered by the USCG, ship owners should have enough time to select and install a BWMS that meets both requirements.
RMI and others previously cosponsored a paper detailing how the experience-building phase within the Convention should be used to identify problems with the regulation and to allow rapid amendments to be made to address any difficulties. A three-year trial period is expected to follow the entry into force of the Convention, allowing for sampling and analysis. During this time, port States will refrain from criminal sanctions or detaining ships.
RMI representatives will be present at this year’s Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) 70th session in October to discuss the concerns of its owners and operators and to provide practicable recommendations for the Convention going forward. This includes supporting proposals for delaying BWMS installation on some existing vessels when supported by valid reasons.
The BWM Convention will enter into force on September 8, 2017.
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