1.1
Regulation B-3.7 of
the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships'
Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (the BWM Convention) permits the
use of Other Methods of ballast water management to achieve at least
the same level of protection to the environment, human health, property
or resources as described in regulations
B-3.1 to B-3.5, and approved in principle by the MEPC.
1.2 Those developing Other Methods should also
take into account: safety considerations relating to the ship and
the crew; environmental acceptability (i.e. not causing greater environmental
impacts than they solve); practicality (i.e. compatibility with ship
design and operations); cost-effectiveness and economics; and biological
effectiveness.
1.3 The Procedure for approving Other Methods
of ballast water management in accordance with regulation B-3.7 of the BWM Convention (hereafter referred
to as "the Procedure"), aims at providing criteria for the evaluation
and approval of Other Methods of ballast water management (hereafter
referred to as "Other Methods").
1.4 This Procedure has been developed to ensure
that these Other Methods provide at least the same level of protection
to the environment, human health, property or resources as those methods
permitted under regulations B-3.1 to B-3.5.
1.5 Other Methods of ballast water management
are to be approved in principle by the Committee prior to approval
of an Other Method by the Administration.
1.6 Systems based on an Other Method where Active
Substances and Preparations are added to the ballast water, or are
generated on board ships by the system, should also be subject to
the approval by the Committee in accordance with the Procedure for
approval of ballast water management systems that make use of Active
Substances (G9).
1.7 All shipboard systems based on an Other Method
will also have to gain Type Approval or Prototype Approval, as appropriate,
under the Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems
(G8), or Guidelines for approval of prototype ballast water treatment
technologies (G10).
1.8 Where an Other Method cannot be type approved
due to the nature of the method, the Administration should recommend
to the Committee an appropriate method of recognition or certification.
1.9 The environmental impacts of any chemical
by-products and/or physical effects formed by an Other Method will
also have to be evaluated by the Administration during the approval
process, with respect to safety to the environment.
1.10 The Procedure identifies the information
to be provided, identifies the responsible parties for providing such
information and outlines the approval processes required by the Committee.
1.11 The use of Other Methods of ballast water
management should be consistent with the objectives of the Convention
– "to prevent, minimize and ultimately eliminate the risks to
the environment, human health, property and resources arising from
the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens through the
control and management of ships' ballast water and sediments, as well
as to avoid unwanted side effects from that control, and to encourage
developments in related knowledge and technology". Depending on the
new technology used in the Other Method, verifications for approval
could be different from those specified in paragraph 1.7 but keep
the same level of protection.
1.12 Other Methods using organisms are not within
the scope of this Procedure.