IMO seeks input for 2016 BWMS forum

The forum at the 6th GEF-UNDP-IMO GloBallast R&D Forum and Exhibition on Ballast Water Management will provide the opportunity for experts to share the latest developments in technologies that may stop the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species in ships’ ballast water.

As the world prepares for implementation of the International Ballast Water Management Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention), the Forum will focus on: “BWM Convention: Moving towards implementation”.

The treaty, when it enters into force, will require ships to manage their ballast water so that any aquatic organisms and pathogens are removed or rendered harmless before the ballast water is released into a new location.

IMO has been executing the GloBallast Partnerships Project since 2000, to assist developing countries, in particular, to reduce the risk of aquatic bio-invasions.

Abstracts are invited in respect of the planned forum topics which include treatment technologies and alternative management options, compliance monitoring and enforcement, regional approaches, risk assessments and exemptions, financing capacity building and technology testing and approval.

Abstracts should be submitted by 15 January 2016 via the forum website (http://www.ballast2016.com/call-for-papers/)

The extended abstract should be written in English, be a maximum 250 words and include objectives, results and conclusions.

Abstracts will be reviewed by an international scientific committee and authors will be notified of the acceptance by 29 January 2016.

Papers should be submitted by 26 February 2016 for inclusion in forum proceedings.