Ballast Water Convention Enters into Force

Ballast Water Convention Enters into Force

​8 September 2017: The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) has entered into force. The Convention addresses aquatic invasive alien species (IAS) by requiring all ships to implement a ballast water management plan, among other actions.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UN Development Programme (UNDP) identify the transfer of aquatic organisms and pathogens between marine ecosystems through ships’ ballast water and sediments as one of the greatest threats to coastal and marine environments around the world. This challenge, also addressed under the Sustainable Development Goal on life on land (SDG 15), which calls for controlling or eradicating IAS by 2020, is also one of the biggest environmental challenges faced by the global shipping industry.​

For more information:  http://sdg.iisd.org/news/ballast-water-convention-enters-into-force/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2017-09-12%20-%20SDG%20Update%20AE&utm_content=2017-09-12%20-%20SDG%20Update%20AE+CID_21ea0c8fc55051df27d72a0c20638ad7&utm_source=cm&utm_term=Ballast%20Water%20Convention%20Enters%20into%20Force

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Terri Hogan, Invasive Plant Program Manager

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