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• The Ballast Water Management Convention will enter into force on 08 September 2017.

• Ships to which the BWM Convention applies excluding floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs are required to be surveyed and issued a certificate. Liberia Administration vide Marine Advisory 14 of 2016 (copy attached) has informed that certificates may be issued prior to entry into force of the BWM Convention along with annotation of the Certificate to state that validity begins from the entry-into-force date. Also in case the approved BWM Plan cannot be placed on board immediately, a Statement will be issued to the Company by the Administration or Classification Society stating that the BWM Plan has been received, thereby allowing the vessel to trade for three months with an unapproved BWM Plan on board.

• Most ocean-going ships engaged in world-wide operations would be required to install a BWMS that is approved in accordance with IMO guidelines as meeting the discharge performance standards in the BWM Convention by first IOPP renewal survey after 08 September 2017.

• The current IMO Guidelines (G8) were not sufficiently detailed and may not meet the required discharge standard in all physical and environmental conditions, such as temperature, salinity ranges and sediment load, ships normally encounter in worldwide trade.

• In order to allow more time for new systems to become available and for ship owners to decide on which system to invest and install, Liberia Administration has agreed that ship owners may decide if they wish to renew a ships IOPP certificate earlier than scheduled (prior to 08 September 2017) in order to have an additional 4 to 5 years to see if new equipment becomes available.

Enclosure:  

1. The Republic of Liberia Marine Advisory 14/2016 Reg Entry into force of the Ballast Water Management Convention.

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