3 Documents submitted for consideration at this session are listed as follows:
A 20/Res.868 Assembly resolution: Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water to Minimize the Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens
MEPC 41/9 Working Group: Report of the Working Group on Ballast Water convened during MEPC 40
MEPC 41/9/1 Secretariat: Draft Questionnaire on Ballast Water Management
MEPC 41/9/2 IACS: Ballast Water Exchange at Sea
MEPC 41/9/3 Norway: Two projects in Norway for the cleaning of ballast water
MEPC 41/INF.26 Australia: Ballast Water Annex to MARPOL 73/78 and Progress in the Australian Ballast Water Management and Research and Development Programs
4 The Working Group met from 30 March to 2 April 1998 under the chairmanship of Mr. D. Paterson (Australia). The meeting was attended by experts from Australia. Brazil; Canada; China; Denmark; Finland; Germany; Greece; India; Japan; Liberia; Malta; the Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Poland; Romania; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Sweden; United Kingdom; United States; Turkey; Hong Kong. China; UNDP; ICS; IACS; IAPH; BIMCO; OCIMF; FOEI; INTERTANKO; ICCL; and WWF.
Consideration of documentation submitted on ballast water management to MEPC 41
5 The Working Group recalled that the draft Regulations developed so far by the Working Group during MEPC 38, as set out in MEPC 41/9, annex 1, should be. further reviewed and completed during this session together with implementation guidelines (MEPC 41/9, annex 2). Assembly resolution A.868(20) on Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water to Mirrimize the Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens should also be taken into account together with advice on safety requirements which should be made available through the DE and SLF Sub-Committees of MSC. The results of further discussions on this matter are described in paragraphs 19 to 22 below.
6 The Secretariat introduced the text of a draft questionnaire enquiring as to the status of national requirements adopted to date by individual Member States with a view to minimizing the risk of transferring harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens with ballast water (MEPC 41/9/1). A revision of the draft text prepared by the Working Group (MEPC 41/WP.14) was approved by the Committee for distribution to all Member Governments (MEPC 41/20, annex 4).
7 The Working Group was informed by IACS of the results of evaluating the possible consequences and potential hazards involved in exchanging ballast water at sea by sequential de- and re-ballasting of tanks, as well as by the use of flow-through methods .(MEPC 41/9/2). General findings of the hazard identification include the following:
.1 ballast water exchange at sea introduces a number of hazards to the ship and its crew;
.2 where ballast water exchange is carried out in patly loaded conditions, it has to be verified that in no case design limits specific to the ship and loading conditions were exceeded. For example, for bulk carriers the weight of cargo in cargo holds and water ballast in the double bottom and hopper tanks is not to exceed the permissible limits for seagoing conditions;
.3 a ballast water exchange plan is a prerequisite for the safe exchange of ballast water:
.4 such ballast water exchange plans should be specific to each ship; however, their format and content should be standardized to ease safe implementation;
.5 a number of existing ships cannot perform a sequential de- and re-ballasting method in a safe manner; other ships cannot perform ballast water exchange by the flow-through method; and
.6 for the ships that cannot perform safe ballast water exchange, alternative risk reduction strategies have to be considered, e.g., change of trade, reduce loading, structural modifications, or operational limitations. This will turn into a cost issue for the shipowner.
8 The Working Group whilst appreciating the valuable findings and concerns expressed above by IACS, considered that these should be transmitted to MSC for onward submission to its SLF and DE Sub-Committees for their evaluation.
9 Information was provided on projects carried out in Norway regarding the filtration of ballast water down to 40 um, and the destruction of micro-organisms by UV radiation (MEPC 41/9/3). The necessary technologies have been developed for the purpose of water injection into offshore wells, involving capacities of up to 3,000 m3/h.
10 The United States experts noted that similar investigations were being carried out in their country and that co-operation between experts working in these fields and an interaction of relevant programmes was appropriate.
11 Australia in its document (MEPC 41/INF.26) urges MEPC to pursue the development of a mandatory international regulatory framework for ballast water management with the aim of achieving the target date specified in IMO resolution A.868(20), particularly in light of the increasing tendency for individual countries to introduce mandatory ballast water requirements. The Working Group further noted Australia's progress in ballast water management issues, particularly regarding recent results achieved in carrying out projects under Its R & D Programme: ballast water heat treatment, ozone treatment and projects evaluating the capacity to survive in ballast water of Vibrio cholerae and other target species. Australia is also developing port contingency plans for events where high risk vessels may be asked to further manage their ballast water in designated safe areas near the port.
