Iran Launches Focused Ship Inspections to Enforce Ballast Water Management Convention
Director General of Maritime Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization announced the start of a centralized inspection program (CIC) of foreign ships based on the requirements of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention in Iranian ports.
PMO News Portal - The Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran announced that from September 1 to November 30, 2025, concentrated inspections of vessels navigating international waters will be conducted in accordance with the Ballast Water Management Convention (2004). This inspection campaign will be carried out simultaneously across ports of member countries within the Indian Ocean, Tokyo, and Paris Memorandums of Understanding.
Allahmorad Afifipour, an official spokesperson, explained that maritime control officers at Iranian ports will inspect foreign ships to identify any non-compliance with the Convention’s requirements. Findings will be recorded and uploaded into the Indian Ocean Regional Memorandum of Understanding’s computerized information system (IOCIS), ensuring coordinated monitoring and enforcement.
The Ballast Water Management Convention, ratified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), establishes a global framework aimed at controlling and managing ships’ ballast water and sediments. This framework is designed to minimize and ultimately eliminate the transfer of harmful pathogens and invasive aquatic species, thereby protecting the marine ecosystem.
Iran officially acceded to the Ballast Water Management Convention following parliamentary approval on May 18, 2010. With the upcoming inspection program, Iran reaffirms its commitment to international marine environmental standards and marine biodiversity protection.
