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Announcements
29/04/2010 |
Advanced training package workshop
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GloBallast PCU is convening a workshop at the Great Eastern Institute for Maritime Studies (http://www.geinstitute.com), India, to develop an Advanced Training Package on Ballast Water Management, for use by the shipping industry, ports, etc.
A team of leading experts in the field, will meet from 26 -30 April to develop the package, which follows the very successful introductory training package. The new training material present the operational aspects of BWM from the ship, flag and port aspects. The final package is expected to be available latter this year. |
16/04/2010 |
More BWM Convention ratifications
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Two more countries have recently deposited their instruments of ratification with IMO ? Canada (8 April) and Brazil (14 April). This brings the total number of parties to 24 representing 23.29 per cent of the world tonnage. Brazil thus follows South Africa, becoming the second GloBallast pilot phase country to ratify the Convention.
GloBallast congratulates Brazil and Canada to this important step!
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01/04/2010 |
Country Profile Database Online
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http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=country_profiles/intro.asp |
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GloBallast PCU is proud to announce the launch of the Country Profile Database (CPD. This database is the first step towards the creation of an online Global Marine Environmental Information System (GMEIS), under the auspices of the GloBallast Programme.
The CPD is a publicly-viewable database that allows all countries to share information on their ballast water regulations, the details of relevant authorities, and a wide range of other ballast water-related information. This information, being publicly viewable, will be useful for ship-owners, crew members and other interested parties, allowing them to ascertain the regulations in their destination country. Port States will be able to view and compare their regulations with others, and countries in the process of developing such regulations will be able to see how others have approached the problem. To this end, countries are urged to complete their profiles as soon, and as completely, as possible.
The CPD has initially been developed by GloBallast, but an exciting new partnership has been forged with the Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC), Maryland, USA. This will allow the combination of the CPD, with the MERC?s database on all forms of marine pollution, along with a user-friendly interface.
For additional information on port specific ballast water, and other environmental discharge, regulations visit MERC.
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01/04/2010 |
GloBallast Forum Launched
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http://globallast.imo.org/forum/default.asp |
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The new GloBallast E-Forum is live and active!
This Forum represents a meeting place for discussion of all things related to ballast water. GloBallast countries can discuss their approaches, questions can be asked of the GloBallast team directly, and information and experience shared between anyone and everyone.
All interested parties are encouraged to register, and to start using the forum as actively as possible. In addition, there is a forum for feedback and suggestions on site improvements, so please do not hesitate to suggest ways to improve the Forum.
We look forward to seeing you in the GloBallast E-Forum!
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30/03/2010 |
GloBallast on Twitter
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http://twitter.com/GloBallast |
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GloBallast is now on Twitter, where you can follow the latest updates and progress. To follow the news posted by GloBallast on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com (or click on the heading of this newsflash) and create an account, then search for GloBallast. |
25/03/2010 |
Nigeria joins LPC track
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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As of March 2010, Nigeria has joined the LPC track, thus becoming the second LPC in the GCLME region together with Ghana.
GloBallast Partnerships LPCs are designated based on a strong commitment to make progress with the implementation of the BWM Convention, as well as to provide support to national and regional activities under the GloBallast Partnerships framework. The ~70 countries who are actively participating in the project have taken either a Lead Partnering Track or Partnering Track and these tracks are interchangable depending on the progress achieved by the countries in meeting the agreed project milestones. The LPC role also allows the countries to benefit from the GEF project intervention at national level. The GCLME region has been the only region with only one LPC (currently WCAR has 4, MED 2, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden 3 and South East Pacific + Argentina Region 3), and the additional support and commitment from Nigeria to take a lead role will be extremely beneficial for the region as well as the overall progress of the project.
Nigeria signed the BWM Convention as early as in October 2005, and has committed to continue the implementation of the Convention, and to take a lead in the region and work closely with its neighbouring countries to share experiences.
The GloBallast PCU congratulates Nigeria to this very welcome step and look forward to the coming years of even closer collaboration as particular focus is given to the progress at the national level in our LPCs.
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25/03/2010 |
India Electronic BW reporting
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http://www.bwmindia.com |
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India, one of the GloBallast Pilot Countries from the first phase of the project, has introduced a voluntary e-Ballast Water Reporting Form at the major ports in the country.
More information can be found in MEPC document 60/2/14 and on http://www.bwmindia.com |
25/03/2010 |
GloBallast attends Baltic seminar
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http://www.balticmaster.org |
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The GloBallast Partnerships PCU participated in the Baltic Master II regional seminar on ballast water management and the current situation of ballast water and sediments treatment in the Baltic Sea region. The seminar was held on 17 and 18 March 2010 in Gdynia, Poland, hosted by the Port of Gdynia.
Baltic Master II is a partly EU-funded project, focusing on enhancing the prevention of pollution from maritime transport in the Baltic Sea. More information is available online at http://www.balticmaster.org
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25/03/2010 |
LR treatment technologies review
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http://www.lr.org/bwm |
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The publication "Ballast Water treatment technology review: current status" has been updated by Lloyd?s Register. The new version, which provides an overview of the available treatment technologies and their characteristics, is available from www.lr.org/bwm |
25/02/2010 |
Progress in GCLME region
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http://igcc.gclme.org/ |
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Nigeria and Sierra Leone - national progress
Two countries in the GCLME region have held national trainings/seminars on ballast water management. The two very successful events, which were supported by the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme, built capacity among a variety of stakeholders in the respective countries.
In Sierra Leone, 25 participants attended the training from 3 to 4 February. Participants represented the Maritime Administration, Ports Authority, Institute of Marine Biology, Fisheries/marine resources Ministry, Sierra Leone Shipping Lines company, Biological sciences department of the University of Sierra Leone, Civil Society NGO, and Environmental Protection Agency. The meeting was hosted by the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA), being the Lead Agency for BWM in the country. During the meeting, Sierra Leone established a National Task Force (NTF) for the control and management of ships ballast water made up of 11 stakeholder organisations. Deputy Executive Director of SLMA was elected as the Focal Point (FP). The NTF went ahead to propose February 26 as the date for its first inaugural meeting to discuss its work programme.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) hosted the two-day event from 17 to 18 February. In his keynote address, the Director General of NIMASA, Mr Temisan Omatseye, noted that the Seminar was aimed at raising awareness of stakeholders on the provisions of the Ballast Water Management Convention adding that implementation strategies for Nigeria would be drawn up at the end of the workshop. While declaring NIMASA?s commitment to ensure the smooth implementation of the provisions of the Convention in Nigeria, Mr Omatseye also stated that the Agency will invest in capacity building to address Ballast Water issues adding that traffic of Ships in and out of Nigeria can only increase.
The meeting also established a National Task Force, to be chaired by the Director General of NIMASA. The NTF will meet again in March to finalise its work plan.
GloBallast PCU congratulates Nigeria and Sierra Leone to the important progress made!
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04/02/2010 |
Regional BWM Strategy Adopted
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http://www.cpps-int.org/plandeaccion |
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Southeast Pacific & Argentina region adopts regional BWM Strategy
The XVI Meeting of the Parties to the Lima Convention held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, adopted, on 22 January 2010, the Regional Strategy for Ballast Water Management in the Southeast Pacific countries and Argentina Region. The Regional Strategy and its Plan of Action were developed during the Second Meeting of the Regional Task Force held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September 2009. National delegates to the COP also urged the national focal points for the creation of national task forces, where appropriate, and the immediate implementation of the Action Plan according to the defined schedule. Development and adoption of a Regional BWM strategy is an important output expected from the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloBallast Partnerships project.
The Regional Strategy and its Action Plan constitute the framework that Southeast Pacific countries and Argentina have developed as a first step towards implementing an effective regional system for ships? ballast water management. The Strategy takes into account the particular circumstances of each country, establishes priority actions, timeframes, responsibilities and proposes measures to evaluate effectiveness of the Strategy. The Action Plan includes national and regional activities between 2009 and 2012 in the following areas: 1) Assessing the impacts of invasive species transferred through ships? ballast water and sediments, 2) a uniform regional monitoring system, 3) evaluation of the existing regulations and practices within the countries, 4) strengthening regional mechanisms for information exchange, 5) evaluation and review mechanisms, and 6) strengthening scientific and technological research.
The Permanent Commission for the Southeast Pacific (CPPS) is the Regional Coordinating Organization (RCO) for the GloBallast Partnerships Project, leading this process in this region. Additional information on CPPS and its activities related to implementation the GloBallast Partnerships project (in Spanish) can be found at www.cpps-int.org/plandeaccion.
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04/02/2010 |
IMO-WMU Ballast Water Week
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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A packed week of ballast water activities concluded on Friday 29 January with closing remarks by Mr. Miguel Palomares, Director, Marine Environment Division, IMO.
The ballast water week started with a first ever global forum for facilities involved in the testing of ballast water treatment systems (24-25 January). The forum, where most of the world?s active and planned test facilities took place, discussed possibilities to harmonize the testing and reporting procedures.
The Test Facility Forum was followed by a Pre-conference expert workshop on proving equivalency between IMO Guidelines G8/G9 approved treatment systems and alternative management options. The workshop, with some 70 participants, was moderated by Mr. Brian Elliott, EMSA, with presentations from Mr. Dandu Pughiuc (IMO), Mr. Jan Linders (GESAMP BWWG Chairman), Dr. Rob Hilliard (consultant to the GIA and GloBallast), Professor Peilin Zhu (consultant to the GIA and GloBallast). A very interesting and stimulating discussion followed.
(Image courtesy of WMU)
The Global R&D Forum on Emerging BWM Systems was held from 27 to 29 January, and was intended to provide a possibility to showcase the new and emerging systems, which could complement the systems reviewed, tested and approved under the G8/G9 Guidelines of the BWM Convention. The Forum brought together the international community engaged in developing innovative ballast water management systems, including alternative management systems, providing an open debate and review of the existing and emerging systems and the way forward to push the technology envelope to meet the challenges of ballast water management. In addition, it allowed for a stock-taking on what we have learned so far, and a discussion on the possibilities and challenges ahead.
Approximately 240 participants attended the Forum. GloBallast PCU would like to thank the co-organizers and sponsors, namely the World Maritime University (WMU) the Global Industry Alliance (GIA), APL, BP Shipping, Daewoo Shipbuilding &Marine Engineering, Vela Marine International, Malm?ty, the Interreg Ballast Water Opportunity project, Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment AS and Respartner AB.
The next major BWM event will be the 5th International Conference & Exhibition on
Ballast Water Management (ICBWM 2010), in Singapore, 1-4 November 2010. See www.ballast2010.com for details!
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03/02/2010 |
Award for GloBallast Partner
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http://www.rempec.org/news.asp?theIDS=2_39&daChk=0&theName=News |
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It is a great pleasure to inform our readers that Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil, key partner in the GloBallast Partnerships Project, and REMPEC officer in charge of marine environment protection related projects has been nominated "Chevalier de lOrdre du M?te Maritime" in January 2010 by the Government of France.
Since joining REMPEC Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil, a Tunisian national with a Ph. D. in law, has been very active in all the activities of the Centre, and particularly in assisting the Contracting Parties in various projects aiming at implementing the requirements of the MARPOL convention as well as, more recently, facilitating the ratification in the region of the 2004 IMO convention on the management of ships ballast waters through the GEF-UNDP-IMO "Globallast Partnerships project". She also assisted in drafting the guidelines concerning "pleasure craft activities and the protection of the marine environment in the Mediterranean".
The GloBallast PCU congratulates Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil on this prestigious award and wish her every success in all her future endeavours. |
19/01/2010 |
New Monograph NBWM Strategy
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http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=monograph.htm&menu=true |
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Guidelines for Developing a National BWM Strategy published
GloBallast Partnerships is pleased to announce the publication of GloBallast Monograph No 18, Guidelines for Development of a National Ballast Water Management Strategy, which has been developed jointly with the International Uniion for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) .
The report follows as well as the recently published Guidelines for National Ballast Water Status Assessment (Monograph No 17), which was developed jointly with the International Ocean Institute (IOI).
Both reports can be downloaded from the Publications section. Hard copies can be obtained by contacting the PCU.
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21/12/2009 |
Panama moves further ahead
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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Panama moves further ahead
Panama held its second National Seminar and Consultation Meeting on IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in Panama City, Panama, on 11th December 2009. This meeting was another important milestone in Panamas efforts in moving towards the ratification and implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention. The national meeting followed the two important wider-Caribbean regional ballast water management activities coordinated by RAC/REMPEITC and hosted by Panama, namely the first GloBallast Regional Task Force meeting and the regional training on legal implementation of the BWM Convention.
Over 30 participants from various government organizations, academia and the private sector participated in the national meeting. The main objectives of this seminar were to raise awareness on invasive aquatic species and ballast water management, and also to facilitate discussions amongst all stakeholders on the way forward. As a result, all participants agreed on the needs and formalization of a National Task Force for BWM and to develop a National Action Plan to progress towards the implementation of the Convention.
The seminar was opened by Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Director, Directorate of Merchant Marine, Panama Maritime Authority. The participants were welcomed by Mr. Juan Pablo Fabrega, Deputy Director, Directorate of Merchant Marine, Panama Maritime Authority as well as Dr. Jose Matheickal of IMO-GloBallast Partnerships. RAC/REMPEITC and the GloBallast Partnerships PCU facilitated the technical presentations on the Convention. A series of presentations were made by the various government organizations who are directly connected to the ballast water management aspects, as well as by universities and research institutes involved in dealing with invasive aquatic species. The seminar and discussions covered various aspects of the issue, including the current status of marine invasions in the region, implementation of Ballast Water Management Convention, BWM standards, current and emerging treatment technologies for BWM, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects. The GloBallast Partnerships Focal Point for Panama Mr. Abraham Martinez, Technical Officer, Compliance and Enforcement Department, chaired the national meeting as well as the group discussions that developed a consensus on the way forward.
Panama has already implemented a national regulation that prohibits ballast water discharge in the Panama canal.
A major outcome of the meeting was the consensus by all participants on the draft of an ambitious national action plan, clearly indicating the interest by Panama in addressing this important environmental issue and in supporting the shipping industry interests through preparatory activities. With the latest accessions by countries such as Sweden, Marshall Islands and the Republic of Korea during this past month, the Convention has reached one step closer to its entry into force. The entry into force of the Convention would need only another 9 countries representing 12% of the world?s merchant tonnage to accede to the Convention. Since it is widely expected that a number of countries will accede to the Convention in 2010, making the entry into force of the Convention imminent, many countries have already started preparing for the implementation of the Convention and building necessary capacity.
Congratulations Panama on this important step!
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21/12/2009 |
Regional activities Wider Caribbean
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http://www.cep.unep.org/racrempeitc |
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The Wider Caribbean Region has made significant progress with its work on the implementation of the BWM Convention as a week of activities, hosted by Panama and coordinated by the RAC/REMPEITC, was concluded recently.
From 7-8 December, the first GloBallast Regional Task Force (RTF) meeting for the Wider Caribbean Region was held. The meeting established the Regional Task Force and initiated the drafting of a Strategic Action Plan for the region. Taking inspiration from the parallel processes in the other GloBallast regions the draft SAP identifies the elements of particular concern to the region and outlines a work plan for the next few years.
From 9-10 December a regional training course on the legal implementation of the BWM Convention was held, with maritime lawyers as well as other experts from the entire region. The training was only the second delivery of the recently developed GloBallast Training Course on the Legal Implementation of the BWM Convention. The participants had an opportunity to study the BWM Convention in detail, as well as a Model BWM Act. The training also provided an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences from the implementation process throughout the region.
The GloBallast PCU congratulates the region for making significant progress during the week in Panama!
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16/12/2009 |
Jamaica takes the lead
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http://www.jamaicaships.com |
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Moving from BWM Convention to its Legal Implementation: Jamaica holds the first national legal workshop
Jamaica, one of the GloBallast Lead Partnering Countries, held the first national level legal workshop on ballast water management, clearly demonstrating the intention to move towards ratification and implementation of the BWM Convention. The one-day National legal workshop was coordinated by the Jamaica Maritime Authority and was attended by senior lawyers from various Ministries and Departments. The workshop was opened by Rear Admiral Peter Brady, Director General of the Jamaica Maritime Authority, who reiterated Jamaicas commitment to address this serious marine environmental issue. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Winston McCalla, a well-known maritime lawyer from the region who was also involved in developing the GloBallast Legal training package. Mr Bertrand Smith, GloBallast National Project Coordinator, chaired the workshop and the plenary discussions. The national legal workshop, targeting the key lawmakers to discuss the drafting of national BWM legislation was the first of its kind among the GloBallast Countries.
Congratulations Jamaica in taking this lead!
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16/12/2009 |
Republic of Korea ratifies
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http://www.imo.org |
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The Republic of Korea ratifies the BWM Convention
The Republic of Korea has acceded to the BMW Convention by depositing its instruments of ratification with IMO on 10 December 2009.
The accession by the Republic of Korea brings the total number of parties to the Convention to 21 and the tonnage to around 23%. To bring the Convention into force, 30 signatures are needed, representing at least 35% of the worlds tonnage. With the accession by the Republic of Korea, the BWM Convention has moved one step closer to its entry into force. It is widely expected that a number of other countries are very close to their accession to the Convention in 2010.
GloBallast Partnerships congratulates the Republic of Korea to this important step. |
02/12/2009 |
Marshall Islands ratifies
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http://www.imo.org |
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Marshall Islands ratifies the BWM Convention
Marshall Islands, the worlds 4th largest flag state (5.13% of the worlds tonnage as of 2008), has acceded to the BMW Convention by depositing its instruments of ratification on with IMO 26 November 2009.
The accession by Marshall Islands brings the total number of parties to the Convention to 20 and the tonnage to 20.93%. To bring the Convention into force, 30 signatures are needed, representing at least 35% of the worlds tonnage.
GloBallast Partnerships congratulates the Marshall Island to this important step.
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27/11/2009 |
Sweden ratifies BWM Convention
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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Sweden ratifies the BWM Convention
Sweden has become the 19th country to ratify the BWM Convention, after signing the instruments for ratification at IMO Headquarters on 23 November 2009. The Swedish Minister for Communications, Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, Ms. Asa Torstensson. On the Ministrys website, Ms. Torstensson says:
"It is extremely important that we protect our marine environment and prevent further establishment of species in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. In bilateral discussions with my colleagues around the world, I will therefore encourage more states to ratify the Convention."
Further information can be found here (in Swedish).
The ratification by Sweden takes the total number of parties to 19, bringing the Convention one step closer to entry into force.
Sweden has played an active role in the BWM discussions at IMO for many years, and has been a strong supporter of the GloBallast project, not least by funding the highly successful documentary "Invaders from the Sea".
Sweden is also hosting the upcoming Global R&D Forum on Emerging Ballast Water Management Systems, jointly organized by IMO-GloBallast, the Global Industry Alliance and the World Maritime University, 27-29 January 2010.
Sweden is very active in the development of ballast water treatment systems. The first system to receive Final Approval by the MEPC (13 July 2007) was the PureBallast System, developed by Alfa Laval and Wallenius Water AB.
The GloBallast PCU congratulates Sweden!
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27/11/2009 |
GloBallast attends EAS Congress
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http://www.iisd.ca/ymb/sea/easc2009/ |
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Globallast PCU was in attendance at the East Asian Seas Congress 2009, held in Manila, Philippines from 23-27 November 2009.
This five-day event was expected to provide a region-wide platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, capacity building, strategic action and cooperation for the sustainable development of the seas of East Asia. The theme of the Congress was "Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Good Practices."
The event progressed well, with extensive presentations given by the GloBallast team. More details about the content of their presentations, along with detailed daily highlights and even a picture of the GloBallast PCUs very own Fredrik Haag, can be found here.
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23/11/2009 |
Biosecurity NZ - BWM article
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http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec |
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An article produced by the GloBallast Partnerships PCU has appears in the new NZ Biosecurity Magazine.
This article describes the background to GloBallast Partnerships, and details some of the progress made so far.
You can find more information about NZ Biosecurity on their web site and a pdf version of the magazine itself can be found here. |
23/11/2009 |
New GloBallast Monograph
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http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=monograph.htm&menu=true |
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The GloBallast PCU is proud to present the first in a series of guidelines and tools to assist countries and regions in their efforts on ballast water management.
The new document, titled "Guidelines for National Ballast Water Status Assessment", which has been prepared together with IOI Southern Africa provides a structured approach to rapid status assessments at the national level, in order to assist in the development of a national ballast water management strategy.
The report also marks the return of the GloBallast Monograph Series, with a new look. All reports in this series can be downloaded from the GBP website and hard copies may be obtained from the PCU.
The other guidelines currently under preparation are:
- Guidelines for development of a National Ballast Water Management Strategy (prepared together with IUCN)
- Guidelines for economic assessments of marine IAS (prepared together with IUCN)
- Guidelines for legal reform in the context of the BWM Convention (prepared by a global team of legal experts). This guideline is also accompanied by a model legislation and a training package for maritime lawyers.
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17/11/2009 |
GEF IW5
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http://www.iwlearn.net/iwc2009 |
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5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference, Cairns, North Queensland, 26 - 29 October 2009
10/11/2009
GloBallast PCU attended the 5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference, hosted by the Government of Australia in Cairns, North Queensland, from 26 to 29 October 2009. REMPEC was invited, along with the RAC-REMPEITC for the Caribbean region, to be part of the IMO-GloBallast delegation composed of the GloBallast Partnerships Technical Advisers.
The purpose of the Conference was to share experiences and innovative practices among GEFs global International Waters portfolio, promote learning and capacity building, develop strategies to enhance stakeholder collaboration, and encourage GEF International Waters projects to apply evolving GEF policies and procedures during implementation. The Conference was an opportunity for GloBallast and its Regional Coordinating Organization partners to present the results achieved so far and expected outcome in the Mediterranean region with respect to ships? ballast water management and invasive species.
More information on the 5th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference can be found on the IW Learning Exchange and Resource Network |
15/10/2009 |
R and D Forum
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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GloBallast Partnerships has released the second call for papers for the Global R+D Forum on Emerging ballast Water Management Systems.
This prestigious event will be held at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden on 27-29 January 2010.
This innovative Forum will bring together some of the world?s largest maritime organizations involved in shipping, ship building and design, maritime R&D institutes, technology developers, environmental organizations and academia to discuss the cutting edge issues in ballast water management.
This event is the result of collaboration between GloBallast Partnerships, the World Maritime University, and the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosecurity, and will be preceded by an Expert Workshop on proving equivalency between existing approved management systems, and emerging alternative management systems.
The second call for papers, containing updated information, can be found here:
R+D Forum 2nd Call For Papers
We look forward to seeing you in Malmo!
Best regards,
GloBallast Partnerships PCU |
30/09/2009 |
CPPS Regional Task Force
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http://www.cpps-int.org/ |
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The Second Meeting of Regional Task Force for the Southeast Pacific and
Argentina took place between 22 and 24 September 2009 in Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
The Meeting was attended by 11 delegates nominated by the National Focal
Points of the Globallast Project from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Panama, Peru and representatives of the Regional Coordination Office (the
Permanent Commission for the South Pacific - CPPS). The Meeting was also
attended by Mr. Gaetan Coatanroch from RAC/REMPEITC.
During the meeting, delegates to the RTF drafted the Regional Strategy for
Ballast Water Management and its Action Plan for this region, as well as the
calendar of activities 2009-2012. The RTG also created two working groups
that will work during the intersessional period: the Regional Legal Working
Group, integrated by Nesme Rocio Laverde, Bulmaro Rodriguez, Ramon Diez,
Javier Espinosa and Javier Velasquez; and the Technical Microbiological
Group, to define the procedures for monitoring ballast water in ships and
ports, integrated by Silvia Rondon, Hector Huerta and Rita Orozco.
The RTG urged to Maritime Authorities and Focal Points of the Southeast
Pacific Action Plan to support the implementation of the Regional Action
Plan, giving priority to technical and training activities at national
level, particularly on legal aspects. Likewise, the RTG urged countries the
creation of the National Task Forces, in those countries that have not been
created, as well as the development of national strategies on ballast water
management.
The report (in Spanish) is available from the CPPS web page. |
21/07/2009 |
GloBallast Presentations at MEPC59
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http://globallast.imo.org |
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During the recent MEPC 59 meeting at IMO in London, there was the opportunity to update delegates on progress being made in the GloBallast Partnerships Project.
Presentations were given not only by the GloBallast PCU, but also by two GloBallast Lead Partnering Countries; Chile and Argentina. These presentations allowed these two LPCs to showcase their efforts, and the progress they have made in addressing the ballast water problem.
There were numerous delegates in attendance, with plenty of positive and constructive feedback generated. It was strongly put across to the GloBallast PCU from other delegates how interesting it was to see such progress made in these countries, and how much it will spur on their own efforts to match that progress.
To help facilitate networking and to bring the whole GloBallast family together, a small reception was held afterwards. This allowed for people to meet in person, share contact details and discuss their intentions with regard to the project. It was a great success, to have so many of our global partners together in the same room.
By popular demand, the powerpoint presentations given by Chile, Argentina and the GloBallast PCU are available in a 25Mb zip file by clicking here
Many thanks to all who attended! |
21/07/2009 |
GCLME RTF established
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http://igcc.gclme.org/ |
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Representatives of the countries of the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) recently met in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire for a Second Regional Workshop and Task Force Meeting on the Ratification and Implementation of the IMO Convention on Ballast Water Management, 9-10 July 2009. The meeting, which was organized through the support of the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) was hosted by the Center for Oceanographic Research, Abidjan, and coordinated by the IGCC/GCLME-RCU.
The three-day meeting, which built on the first meeting held in 2006, was a great success. Under the able chairmanship of Captain Kofi Micah, Ghana, the Regional Task Force was formally established a Regional Strategy finalized and adopted.
The GloBallast PCU congratulates the region for taking this important step towards a harmonized regional implementation of the Convention!
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21/07/2009 |
GCLME PBBS Training
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http://igcc.gclme.org/ |
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The Center for Oceanographic Research, Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, hosted a training on Port Biological Baseline Surveys for the countries in the GCLME region, 6-8 July 2009. The training was organized by GloBallast, with the funding support of IMO-ITCP Programme and regional coordination support of the IGCC/GCLME-RCU.
The training was a great success and GloBallast PCU thanks everyone who made the journey for this important training. |
15/07/2009 |
UNDP talk on BWM
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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106599241 |
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A recording of a talk given by Principal Technical Adviser for UNDP, Mr Andy Hudson, has been made available along with a news story on ballast water treatment.
Mr. Hudson is a key figure for the GloBallast Partnerships Project, and in this interesting talk he sheds light on the importance of Ballast Water Management.
The full story can be read here , and the full recording is available in mp3 format by clicking here.
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10/07/2009 |
PERSGA meetings
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http://www.persga.org/ |
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Recent meetings in Egypt and Jordan, facilitated by PERSGA, were a great success, with excellent outcomes generated.
A GloBallast National Task Force meeting in Suez was followed by both a National Task Force meeting for Jordan, and a Regional Task Force meeting.
These meetings, along with other recent and forthcoming meetings and training activities, show that significant momentum is being created in the region in addressing the ballast water issue. Thanks to all those involved!
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16/06/2009 |
Lithuania Training Success
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http://www.msa.lt |
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The GloBallast Introductory Training Package has been successfully delivered to the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, with funding support from the IMO ITCP programme. This training was hosted by the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration ( http://www.msa.lt ) and was held in Klaipeda, Lithuania, from 9 to 12 June 2009. 26 participants attended from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Russia, Germany, Sweden and HELCOM ( http://www.helcom.fi ).
During the opening ceremony, which was covered by media, the participants were addressed by the Director of the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration, Captain Zacharevičius, who stressed the importance of the issue for the region, being a semi-enclosed sea with high shipping intensity.
In addition to the capacity building and awairness raising aspects, the activity provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to exchange experiences and further supporting the regional harmonization by building relationships with their counterparts in the other countries.
GloBallast PCU congratulates everyone who particpated in the training.
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15/06/2009 |
R and D Forum
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http://globallast.imo.org/GBP_R+D_call_for_papers_web.pdf |
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GloBallast Partnerships is proud to announce the forthcoming event:
Global R+D Forum on Emerging ballast Water Management Systems
This prestigious event will be held at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden on 27-29 January 2010.
This innovative Forum will bring together some of the world?s largest maritime organizations involved in shipping, ship building and design, maritime R&D institutes, technology developers, environmental organizations and academia to discuss the cutting edge issues in ballast water management.
This event is the result of collaboration between GloBallast Partnerships, the World Maritime University, and the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosecurity, and will be preceded by an Expert Workshop on proving equivalency between existing approved management systems, and emerging alternative management systems.
A first call for papers, containing more information, can be found here:
R+D Forum Call For Papers
We look forward to seeing you in Malmo!
Best regards,
GloBallast Partnerships PCU |
11/05/2009 |
Agua De Lastro Brasil
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http://www.aguadelastrobrasil.org.br |
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Agua de Lastro Brasil is a new Non Governmental Organization (NGO), nonprofit, private law, in Sao Paulo (SP), Brazil.
Its main objective is to propose ways of working through research and procedures that
inhibit the contamination of the Brazilian coast by non-native species. The organization is part of a
worldwide movement involved in the search for marine quality and coastal environment and as a
consequence, human life that depends on natural resources.
More information can be found here, and on the main website (currently Portuguese only), here
We are very pleased to welcome this new NGO to the GloBallast family! |
07/05/2009 |
ACIUS BWM Conference
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http://www.acius.net/wiki.aspx/Conferences/Upcoming?view=overview&id=119 |
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ACI is hosting a ballast water management conference in Amsterdam, on the 19-21 May 2009.
ACI?s inaugural Ballast Water Management will focus on the fundamental issues relating to the management of ballast water i.e. costs and returns on investments, space for retrofit of systems, stability of ships during exchange and ensuring that crew are adequately trained to handle the systems. Shipowners and managers now need to establish a ballast water management plan resulting in ballast water system being fitted in each vessel in the future. You will also understand the need for alternatives to ballast exchange and the benefits and challenges of using these alternative technologies. This event gives shipping companies the opportunity to hear practical and cost-effective ballast water management plan from their industry peers.
For more information, please visit the ACIUS conference web page. |
17/04/2009 |
ERDF Ballast Water Opportunity
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http://www.northseaballast.eu |
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Fredrik Haag, GloBallast Partnerships Technical Adviser, gave a presentation on the GloBallast Partnerships project to the kick-off meeting for a new project under the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), " North Sea Ballast Water Opportunity".
The project, which is coordinated by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), the Netherlands, aims at providing regional cohesion, encouraging innovation and developing future strategies in ballast water policies and ballast water management. More information can be found at http://www.northseaballast.eu |
17/04/2009 |
GCLME Regional Training
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http://igcc.gclme.org/index.php |
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The GloBallast Training package has again been successfully delivered at the regional level.
This time it was the turn of the Interim Guinea Current Commission and Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project to host the training for the West and Central African region. The training was held in Accra, Ghana, from 31 March to 3 April 2009, in English with simultaneous interpretation to French. During the opening ceremony, the 30 participants were addressed by the Honorable Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Ms. Sherry Ayitey. Television newspaper coverage was also given, further helping to raise awareness about the issue. This very well-organized event was attended by representatives from 15 countires, illustrating the high importance attached to ballast water related issues in the region.
Globallast PCU thanks and congratulates the IGCC/GCLME-RCU! |
07/04/2009 |
South Pacific Training Activities
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http://www.sprep.org |
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GloBallast, with the funding support of IMO-ITCP Programme and regional coordination support of SPREP, organized two back-to-back GloBallast training activities in the SPREP region, the GloBallast Introductory Training Course and the Port Biological Baseline Survey Training Course.
These regional activities, held in Suva, Fiji from 9 to 17 March 2009, were hosted by Government Fiji and carried out to the highest standard by SPREP, helped by a number of expert instructors from the region as well as from NIWA, New Zealand.
These activities, planned within the GloBallast Project Framework, formed the foundation for further national level training activities in the South Pacific Region and significantly assisted in building the momentum towards ratification of the International Convention for Ballast Water Management, by the South Pacific countries.
Congratulations to everyone who took part!
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07/04/2009 |
First Spanish GloBallast Training
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http://www.rocram.net/prontus_rocram/site/artic/20090114/pags/20090114113251.php |
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The middle of March saw the hosting of another very successful GloBallast Regional Training. This training was held for the maritime administrations of the South American countries, and was hosted in Vina del Mar, Chile. The training was supported by IMOs Technical Cooperation programme and coordinated by ROCRAM, and it was the first time the newly translated Spanish version of the GloBallast Training Package was delivered.
Globallast PCU was in attendance, with Technical Adviser Fredrik Haag giving an opening address as well as aiding in the training itself. The GloBallast Regional Coordinating Organization, CPPS, also participated through Dr. Fernando Felix as one of the instructors.
More information can be found here . |
06/03/2009 |
GIA Launch Ceremony
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http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=GIA-Launch.html&menu=true |
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The GloBallast Global Industry Alliance was launched on the 2nd of March 2009.
The event was held at IMO Headquarters in London and was a great success, with over 200 high-profile attendees from many different areas of the maritime community.
Speeches by the IMO Secretary-General, high-level UNDP representatives, and partners from the shipping industry were followed by a reception that not only celebrated the formation of this innovative public-private partnership, but also greatly raised awareness on the efforts of the industry to fight the ballast water problem.
The GloBallast Partnerships PCU thanks everybody who attended, and looks forward to a successful partnership with the industry.
For more information regarding this high profile event, please click here, and for more information on the Global Industry Alliance, please see the main GIA web page. |
10/02/2009 |
Panama makes move
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http://globallast.imo.org/ |
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Panama held its First National Seminar and Consultation Meeting on IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in Panama City, Panama, on 5th February 2009. This successful meeting was an important milestone in Panamas efforts in moving towards the establishment of a National Task Force on Ballast Water Management.
Over 50 participants from various government organizations, academia and private sector participated in the meeting. The all-inclusive strategy adopted by the Panama Maritime Authority to organize this meeting resulted in a significant rising of awareness of the issue among the key stakeholders, as well as facilitating the consensus-building amongst the participants on establishing a National Task Force for BWM.
The seminar was opened by Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Director, Merchant Marine of Panama Maritime Authority. The Chief Technical Adviser of IMO-GloBallast Partnerships Project, Dr Jose Matheickal, facilitated the Seminar. The seminar covered various aspects of the issue, including implementation of Ballast Water Management Convention, BWM standards, current and emerging treatment technologies for BWM, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects. Ms. Flor Torrijos of Intermaritime Group facilitated the discussions on National Task Force formation.
Panama has already implemented a national regulation that prohibits ballast water discharge in the Panama canal.
A major outcome of the seminar was the consensus by all participants on the need for establishing a National Task Force (NTF), and the identification of initial members of such a Task Force. A draft list of NTF members were therefore identified.
The seminar was supported and co-sponsored by various organizations ? Panama Canal Authority, Panama Maritime Chamber, Panama Law Association, and Intermaritime Group.
Congratulations Panama on this important step!
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05/02/2009 |
GloBallast back online
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http://globallast.imo.org/ |
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Greetings from the GloBallast PCU!
As you may be aware, in the latter part of last year the GloBallast web site was attacked by some "alien inavaders". Not a ballast water bug, but an internet scripting attack from unknown external sources. This infected our website and databases with malicious content, and made the website non-functional.
As soon as this attack happened, the site was taken offline to prevent any further damage. Since then we have been working hard not only to remove the infection, but to prevent it from happening again in the future. The site is now back online with all the security features in place and will be developing and expanding further from now on.
Please check back regularly for updates, news and other awareness materials. Now that we have defeated our own "invasive aliens", we can focus our undivided attention on the aliens in ballast water?
With best regards,
GloBallast PCU.
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05/02/2009 |
GloBallast 2008 summary
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http://globallast.imo.org/ |
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Due to the site downtime, it has been several months since there was an update on the progress of the GloBallast Partnerships project. However, things have been moving ahead with great speed, on the national, regional and global levels. 2008 was a year that saw huge efforts in ?getting the ball rolling?. Here is a summary of what has taken place since the last update;
- Mr. Fredrik Haag appointed as Technical Adviser, GloBallast Partnerships Project (email: fhaag@imo.org )
- All Lead Partnering Countries have nominated National Focal Points and Project Coordinators. A list of these contacts are given here
- Regional level meetings have been held, and Regional Task Forces formed, in two GloBallast regions (Mediterranean, South East Pacific + Argentina), coordinated by the Regional Coordinating Partners, namely REMPEC and CPPS Secretariat.
- Regional Introductory Ballast Water Management (BWM) training activities were carried out in three GloBallast regions (Wider Caribbean, Mediterranean and Red Sea & Gulf of Aden), coordinated by REMPEITC, REMPEC and PERSGA.
- Regional Port Biological Baseline Survey training was carried out in Mediterranean region, coordinated by REMPEC with the support of SAFEMED Project.
- National Seminars and Task Force meetings have now been held in nine Lead Partnering Countries (Argentina, Bahamas, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela and Yemen).
- The Global Industry Alliance (GIA) for Marine Biosecurity was established, with the finalization of an MoU by four key industry partners and IMO. The first GIA Task Force meeting has since been held in January 2009. The founding partners of the GIA are: APL (Singapore), BP Shipping (UK), Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (Korea) and Vela Marine International (Saudi Arabia).
- Translation of the GloBallast Training Package into French and Spanish was completed by GloBallast Lead Partnering Countries.
- Organized the 4th International Conference on Ballast Water Management in Singapore, jointly with Government of Singapore and iESE ( www.ballast2008.com )
- National level BWM training conducted in Colombia, using GloBallast Training Package.
- GloBallast was featured in several international forums as part of outreach activities.
- Ongoing awareness raising using the IMO-BBC Documentary "Invaders from the Sea"
As is clearly evident, the project is moving very well, with significant momentum generated at a number of levels. 2009 is expected to be even busier, and even more productive!
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18/06/2008 |
Croatia Moves Ahead
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http://www.rempec.org/newsmore.asp?id=242&lang=en |
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The First National Task Force Meeting was held in Zagreb, Croatia, from the 29th to the 30th of May 2008. This successful meeting was an important milestone for the GloBallast Partnerships Project in Croatia. Over 50 participants from various government organizations, academia and private sector participated in the meeting. The all-inclusive strategy adopted by the Lead Agency to organize this meeting resulted in a significant raising of awareness of the issue and the Project activities, as well as facilitating the consensus-building amongst the participants on future action plans.
The Chief Technical Adviser of the GloBallast Partnerships Project gave a presentation on the Global project framework, explaining what was expected from the LPC and identifying the expected outcomes from the project. Presentations were also made by various experts and government organizations on various aspects of the issue, such as invasive species issue in the Adriatic sea, overview of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention, ballast water treatment technologies, inspection procedures and issuance of certificates, ship documents and reporting aspects, sampling & analyzing and baseline studies and monitoring of harbour areas.
Croatia has already developed and started implementing the national regulations on ballast water, although Croatia is not a party to the BWM convention.
A major outcome of the meeting was the formalization of various working groups within the national Task Force and identification/nomination of chairs of various working groups. A number of priority areas were identified, and the formation of various working groups to address these major issues, in addition to the development of a national ballast water management strategy, clearly demonstrate the success of this meeting and the progress achieved by the Lead partnering Country.
Congratulations Croatia!
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