After nearly two months of uncertainty it is now clear the IMO’s Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention will not be coming into force in 2016.

Panama, the world’s largest ship registry says it has begun the accession process for the Ballast Water Management (BWM) and the Hong Kong Conventions.

The US Coastguard (USCG) “kill” standard for microorganisms in ballast water must be the focus for shipowners, Optimarin has argued.

Confirmation of entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention is not now expected till early 2016 despite a flurry of ratifications in late November.

New-York-based shipowner Liberty Maritime has chosen Ecochlor Ballast Water Management (BWM) systems for installation aboard its fleet of seven bulkers and two ro-ro vessels.

De Nora Water Technologies (DNWT) in China is seeing a growing demand for ballast water treatment system (BWTS) retrofits.

It now seems a racing certainty that IMO’s Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention will come into force in late November 2016 after Morocco yesterday became the latest control to formally ratify the legislation, with Finland poised to follow suit.

Indonesia has today become the latest country to ratify the IMO’s Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention, potentially triggering entry into force of the new regulation in 12 months’ time from today.

Speaking at the ICS International Shipping Conference, IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu today repeasted his call for the ICS and the shipping industry in general to encourage ratification of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention.

The influential Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC) has attacked the plague “of new laws and legislation that, whilst well-meaning, do not actually better the lot of the seafarer, the environment or the shipping industry in general”.