The International Maritime Organization (the “IMO”) has called on the government of Liberia through the Liberia Maritime Authority (the “LMA”) to go beyond the ratification of the International Convention on Ballast Water and Legislate it to establish a National Task Force on Ballast Water Management (BWM). The convention has already been endorsed by 27 IMO member states including Liberia, since 2004, but requires approval from 30 countries before its enforcement can take effect.

The workshop was organized on November 22, 2010, by the Liberia Maritime Authority and was attended by nearly 30 representatives from major stakeholders’ institutions in the country including the National Port Authority (NPA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of National Fisheries, the Shipping Industry, the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation (LPRC) and the Liberia Maritime Authority (the “LMA”).

Ballast Water, according to maritime experts, is a large quantity of water put on board an empty vessel to balance it at sea until it reaches its destination. Based on a survey conducted by marine scientists, some, not all ballast water transported by vessels, contain organism and species that have the potential to contaminate the ecosystem at ports where ships usually dock to empty their ballast water.

Mr. Michael Luguje, IMO Regional Coordinator for West and Central Africa, who served as lead facilitator of the seminar, said that Liberia would reduce the risk of attracting harmful species and organisms at its seaports by establishing a task force to manage ballast water.  He noted that tackling and removing harmful species transported on board empty vessels travelling from foreign countries to Liberia, would go a long way in eliminating ecological barriers. The IMO Regional Coordinator pointed out that government of member states have to make available budgetary support towards the maintenance, implementation and operations of such task force.

According to the IMO expert, Liberia is very crucial to the implementation of this convention, since the country has the second largest registry in the world.

 

Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner Binyah C. Kesselly, in his intervention pledged the country’s commitment to implementing conventions already ratified by it including the implementation of International Ship and Port Security (ISPS), which requires the LMA to adhere, adopt and implement a number of seaport security measures in line with international standards. He emphasized the LMA’s commitment to fostering inter- agency collaboration during this transitional period, which has in recent years, embarked upon the process of improving its human resource capacity by conducting training for local and international staff to maintain its “Best In Class” mantra.