Harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water    
An MEPC Working Group further developed draft regulations for ballast water management to prevent the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast wate.Plans are for the new measures to be adopted at a diplomatic conference in 2002 or 2003. The measures would be enshrined in a new IMO international convention "for the control and management of ships' ballast water and sediments."

A two-tier approach is being taken.

• Tier 1 includes requirements that would apply to all ships, including mandatory requirements for a Ballast Water and Sediments Management Plan, a Ballast Water Record Book and a requirement that new ships carry out ballast water and sediment management procedures to a given standard or range of standards. Existing ships would be required to carry out ballast water management procedures after a phase-in period, but these procedures may differ from those to be applied to new ships
• Tier 2 includes special requirements which may apply in certain areas and would include procedures and criteria for the designation of such areas in which additional controls may be applied to the discharge and/or uptake of ballast water. The text for Tier 2 remains to be developed.

The working group confirmed that ballast exchange on the high seas is the only widely used technique currently available to prevent the spread of unwanted aquatic organisms. Its use should continue to be accepted. However, it has a number of limitations. It is of variable efficiency in removing organisms. The percentage of organisms removed depends on their type. The quality of the discharged water depends on the original quality of the water taken up.

Ballast exchange also has geographical limits. Existing ships may subject to operational constraints. Howver, new ships might be designed to accommodate ballast exchange in a much wider range of circumstances.

The Working Group concluded that development of alternative treatment technologies might produce techniques that were substantially more reliable and that ballast water exchange is an interim solution.

The draft ballast water instrument will be further reviewed and developed at the next session.

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