UK Club: “Act on ballast water management now!”

UK P&I Club senior claims executive, Jacqueline Tan, says the industry must move quickly to prepare for the strict ballast water management controls coming into force.

Ms Tan says: “The coming into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention 2004 (“BWMC”) is now imminent. As of 12 February 2015, 44 States representing 32.86\% out of the requisite 35\% of the world’s merchant fleet tonnage have ratified the Convention. The balance is expected to be obtained shortly and the Convention will enter into force 12 months thereafter.”

She explains: “Rather than delaying the Convention’s entry into force date, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has proposed delaying the implementation of sanctions for a trial period of between two to three years once the Convention comes into force. Delaying entry into force will discourage manufacturers from continuing to invest in advancing the necessary technology in this field. A ship will need to comply with the BWMC on her first IOPP renewal survey after entry into force. It is estimated that some 57,000 ships will need to comply. Assuming a maximum of 40 ships can be retrofitted a day, it will take nearly four years for all the retrofitting to be completed.”

According to UK Club, experts have estimated that the whole process from selecting a BWM system to installing the system takes from a minimum of six months up to a year. But Ms Tan comments: “Worryingly, we are aware that a number of shipowners have yet to take even the first steps towards complying with this Convention.”

She warns: “As spaces in the major shipyards are already all booked up, there is real possibility of serious bottlenecks occurring. Ships that fail to comply on time will face serious commercial disadvantages, as their trading limits will be severely restricted.”

source:maritimelondon.com