Ukraine, together with other states, is strengthening control over ballast water of ships in the Black Sea
27.10.2025 - 16:10
Ukraine and other member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are strengthening enforcement of the Ballast Water Management Convention.
The IMO announced this.
Black Sea states are strengthening enforcement of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM 2004), which aims to prevent the spread of harmful organisms through ships’ ballast water.
A regional workshop held in Batumi, Georgia (21-23 October) laid the foundation for a coherent compliance framework to protect and restore the marine ecosystem of the Black Sea.
Sixteen government officials representing various maritime and environmental administrations and agencies from Georgia, Turkey, Moldova and Ukraine participated in the event.
All of them completed the mandatory IMO e-learning course “Introduction to Ballast Water Management and Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement”, as well as preparatory surveys to adapt the training to regional needs.
Discussions covered risk assessment, emergency planning, exchange of best practices and cooperation between coastal States, with a particular focus on the roles of flag States, ports and coastal States as defined in the 2004 Ballast Water Convention.
During a field visit to the port of Batumi, inspection and sampling procedures were demonstrated, highlighting the importance of national legislation to ensure effective implementation and enforcement.
The workshop was held within the framework of the IMO Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP), organized in cooperation with the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia. It followed up on the preliminary assessment of IMO activities in the region and the progress made by coastal States in ratifying and implementing the BWM 2004.
The outcomes of the workshop will inform future capacity-building activities and strengthen the commitment of the Black Sea States to sustainable management of marine ecosystems.
USM previously reported that Vodafone will lay submarine cables in the Black Sea, bypassing Russia.
