The Ballast Water Management Convention, adopted in 2004, aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of ships' ballast water and sediments.
Under the Convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast water management plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book and an international ballast water management certificate. The ballast water management standards will be phased in over a period of time. As an intermediate solution, ships should exchange ballast water mid-ocean. However, eventually, most ships will need to install an onboard ballast water treatment system.
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments is not yet in force. It will enter into force 12 months after ratification by 30 States, representing 35 percent of world merchant shipping tonnage.
All Arctic states are parties to the Convention but Iceland and the US. The convention does not apply to Faroe and Greenland.