Marshall Islands updates BWM guidance

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator has published a marine notice, to provide updated guidance for complying with ballast water management (BWM) requirements.

The document addresses nuances in the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention), as well as requirements imposed by coastal States, including the United States.

The US is not a Party to the BWM Convention, but requires mandatory BWM practices for all vessels equipped with ballast water tanks bound for ports or places within the U.S. or entering U.S. waters from outside its exclusive economic zone. Owners and masters engaged in trade within US waters must implement Ballast Water Management Plans (BWMPs) and means to prevent the introduction of unwanted aquatic organisms and pathogens.

Each vessel subject to this rule is required to develop and maintain an approved BWMP, and employ at least one of the following BWM practices:

1. prior to discharging ballast water in U.S. navigable waters and within 12 nm of the coast, perform complete BWE in an area no less than 200 nm from any shore unless required to install a BWMS;
2. retain ballast water onboard the vessel;
3. install and operate a BWMS that has been type approved by the USCG
4. use only water from a US public water system (PWS)
5. employ an Alternate Management System (AMS) for up to five years from the basic compliance date or from the extended compliance date
6. discharge to a facility on shore or another vessel for the purpose of treatment.

If a ship is engaged in trade which takes it into the territorial waters of the US, the BWMP must be specific to each ship and address the following additional US requirements:

1. detailed biofouling maintenance procedures and procedures for the disposal of sediments at sea and to shore; and
2. procedures for coordinating the shipboard BWM strategy with USCG authorities.

Further details may be found in the official document: