BWM - Guidance for best practices on sampling. Version February 2019.

Abstract

The Ballast Water Management Convention or BWM Convention (full name International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004) is a treaty adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in order to help prevent the spread of potentially harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships' ballast water. The Convention was adopted by consensus at a Diplomatic Conference held at IMO Headquarters in London on 13 February 2004 and it entered into force on the 8th of September 2017. This document is intended to provide guidance for a harmonised approach to ballast water sampling procedures, identifying best practice according to the different standards, D-1 and D-2 for ascertaining the compliance with the Ballast Water Convention (hereafter referred to as ‘the Convention’).