The Ballast Water Expert Group (BWEG) is a Special Interest Group of the IMarEST which focuses specifically on addressing issues concerning ballast water management.
The BWEG held its inaugural meeting in May 2010, its 2d meeting on 1 October 2010, and its 3rd meeting on 14 February 2011. Although SIGs are essentially comprised of IMarEST members, on topics such as BWM, SIGs encourage participation by representatives from other relevant constituencies. Accordingly, “Friends of BWEG” that are invited to its meetings currently include the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) GloBallast, Lloyd’s Register, International Chamber of Shipping, European Maritime Safety Agency, North Sea Ballast Water Opportunity (NSWBO) Project, various national Administrations associated with the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC), and others.
Through its BWEG, IMarEST has established a strategic partnership with GloBallast, an IMO organization supporting the BWMC. IMarEST’s particular focus is on enhancing awareness of the BWMC through its extensive international network. It is also planned to explore the possibility of assisting GloBallast with training in implementation of the BWMC.
IMarEST and IMO, supported by the Global Industry Alliance and the GloBallast Partnerships Programme, co-hosted a very successful one-day Shipbuilders’ Forum on the BWMC on 1 November 2010 in Singapore, in conjunction with the 5th International Conference and Exhibition on BWM (1-4 November 2010). This Forum highlights experiences by shipbuilders and repairers, shipping companies and class societies, and offers an opportunity for these and other stakeholders to set out and discuss their specific concerns on BWM in the context of, e.g., retrofitting and new building, different types of treatment systems, systems testing, survey and certification, compliance and costs.
IMarEST monitors the activities of the NSBWO Project through the NSBWO website, maintains contact with the Project to avoid duplication, and will, with the support of the BWEG, assist where possible, especially in awareness-raising.
Among the other activities being undertaken by BWEG is a comparative compilation, via a correspondence group (CG), of the various methodologies being developed for compliance control sampling, with a view to determining whether a potential for development of a consensual standard exists. It is proposed to develop a paper on the basis of the CG’s findings for, inter alia, submission to the 62nd meeting of IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC 62), to be held 11-15 July 2011. The BWEG is also considering hosting a related event in London immediately prior to MEPC 62, which would also develop further results from the Shipbuilders’ Forum. Peer-reviewed papers on pertinent BW-related subjects, for publication by IMarEST, are also being considered. As a neutral learned professional society, IMarEST and its BWEG will be useful to all stakeholders in ballast water issues.
Email enquiries are welcomed at technical@imarest.org.
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