HELCOM: More Baltic nations ratify ships’ BWMC
The persistent work of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) towards less invasive species in the Baltic Sea has reached a significant milestone upon Denmark ratifying the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) last week, following Russia who acceded earlier this year, in March. Also Sweden adds to the list of Baltic coastal countries who have agreed to the Convention, while the remaining nations are preparing for the ratification. The head of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recently urged all the flag states to implement the Convention as soon as possible, the Helsinki Commission press release said.
“This is welcomed news. My evaluation is that the countries in our region are making good progress towards reducing the risk of alien species being introduced to the Baltic Sea. HELCOM members agreed to ratify the ballast water convention by 2013 at the latest, and the next year’s HELCOM Ministerial Meeting will be an excellent opportunity to evaluate the implementation of this commitment and agree on further necessary measures,” says Monika Stankiewicz, HELCOM Executive Secretary.
“As movement of alien species is a global problem, HELCOM is cooperating with its counterparts in the North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, OSPAR and REMPEC, respectively. Joining efforts with other European seas has already resulted in the adoption of guidance for voluntary measures on ballast water exchange by ships engaged in oceanic voyages,” continues Ms. Stankiewicz.
Transport and introductions of alien species have been perceived as one of the primary threats to the coastal ecosystems worldwide. All Baltic Sea countries have agreed on the HELCOM Ballast Water Road Map, adopted as a part of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and addressing specific aspects of the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention implementation.
The latest HELCOM Project on the topic, on risk assessments of alien species transfer on intra-Baltic ship voyages, will have results by the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in October 2013 to assist in complying with the BWM Convention. The Project is creating reliable and harmonized port profiles of alien species throughout the Baltic. It is also testing in practice the HELCOM approach, adopted in 2010, to specific aspects of compliance regarding ships operating within the Baltic Sea.
The Project and its predecessors have provided much needed information to national administrations, along with providing best practices on how to conduct, evaluate and consult risk assessments as set down in the BWM Convention. Moreover, a recently established joint HELCOM-OSPAR task group on risk assessments will look into joint Baltic and North Atlantic approaches. The Group will have its first meeting in October and finalise its initial round of work by spring 2013.
The joint HELCOM/OSPAR/REMPEC ballast water guidance requires vessels in traffic between the sea areas of the Mediterranean, and the North Atlantic/the Baltic to have a ballast water treatment plan in place, to collect information, as well as to exchange all their ballast water tanks in specific offshore areas prior to port entry. The guidance, applied from 1 October 2012 onwards, has been recently communicated by IMO in circular BWM.2/Circ.39.
The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution.
HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," known as the Helsinki Convention.
