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The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Regional Strategic Action Plan for the Control of Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens (HAOP) in Ships` Ballast Water Draft June 2014 Page |1 PERSGA VISION of THE REGIONAL BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY The vision of the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) is to develop a Regional Strategic Action Plan for Controlling the Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens in Ships` Ballast Water. The Regional Strategic Action Plan is to be achieved in collaboration with IMO GloBallast Partnership Project and through: • Strengthening the capacities of the Member States in the PERSGA region targeting the prevention of transfer of harmful organisms in ships’ ballast water and sediments, ensuring effective implementation of and compliance with relevant international regulatory framework. • Developing regional cooperation in the field of Ballast Water Management among the coastal States of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in control of and responding to harmful species invasion incidents • Providing Technical Assistance to the Member States in development of their national capacities for response to marine pollution incidents and facilitating information exchange, technological cooperation and training; and • Providing a framework for exchange of information on operational, technical, scientific, legal and financial matters, and promoting dialogue aiming at conducting coordinated actions at national, regional and global levels. Page |2 Table of Contents Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction and Background ........................................................................................................3 2. General Objectives of the Regional Strategic Action Plan ...........................................................4 3. Specific Objectives of the Regional Strategic Action plan ...........................................................4 4. Description of the Region ................................................................................................................5 4.1 General ........................................................................................................................................5 4.2 Existing Cooperation Schemes for the Protection of Marine Environment .........................6 5. Principal Actions ..............................................................................................................................6 5.1 Legislative Review for Ballast Water Management Compliance and Ratifications of the BWM convention .......................................................................................................................6 5.2 Adopt a harmonized Ballast water management instrument in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region .................................................................................................................................7 5.3 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) .................................................................7 5.4 Port Biota Baseline Surveys (PBBS) .........................................................................................8 5.5 Risk Assessment .........................................................................................................................9 5.6 Training & Capacity building .................................................................................................10 5.7 Regional and Inter – Regional Cooperation ..........................................................................10 5.8 National Action Plans ..............................................................................................................11 5.9 Institutional Component..........................................................................................................11 5.10 Communications and Public Awareness-raising Component ............................................12 6. Resources and Financing ...............................................................................................................13 7. Implementation the Strategic Action Plan ...................................................................................13 Annex I: Work Plan ............................................................................................................................. I Annex II: Harmonized voluntary instrument for ballast water Management in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden I Page |3 Abbreviations: BWM: CBD: CFP: CHM: CME: FAO: GEF: HAOP: IAS: IMO: IOI: IUCN: LPIA: NFP: NTF: PBBS: PCU: PERSGA: REMPEC: ROPME: RTF: SAP: UNCLOS: UNDP: Ballast Water Management Convention for Biological Diversity Country’s Focal Point Clearing House Mechanism Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Global Environment Facility Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens Invasive Aquatic Species International Maritime Organization International Ocean Institute International Union for Conservation of Nature Legal, Policy, and Institutional aspects National Focal Points National Task Force Port Biota Baseline Survey Program Coordinating Unit The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf Of Aden The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment Regional Task Force Strategic Action Plan The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea United Nations Development Programme 1. Introduction and Background The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region is an active part of the world economy, in which shipping plays an important role. Shipping carries more than 90% of the world’s commodities and is essential to the global economy. For so many years ships have been using ballast water to keep their balance, stability and structural integrity. Ballast water is essential for the safety of ships, especially for those unloaded ships. It is estimated that 3-5 billion tons of Ballast Water is transferred by ships globally each year, and some 7000 species are being carried by ships at any given time1 The issue of aquatic invasive species, including the transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens (HAOP) in ships’ ballast water and sediments, is one of the greatest threats to global marine bio-diversity and ecosystems, and also a significant threat to coastal economies and even public health. Global economic impacts from Invasive Aquatic Species (IAS), including through disruption to fisheries, fouling of coastal industry and infrastructure and interference with human amenity, are estimated to exceed tens of billions of dollars per year. The impacts are set to increase in coming years with a three-fold increase in shipping activity predicted in the next decade. Countries in the PERSGA region are at particular risk as globalization of the world economy continues and new markets, ports and shipping routes are continuously opening in the region. Several ports in the region export bulk commodities and oil and in return receive large amount of ballast water, thus potentially receiving 1 The GEF-UNDP-IMO Globallast Programme publications (globallast.imo.org) Page |4 harmful invasive organisms into the ecosystem. The implications of this issue on marine environment and biodiversity in the region as well as on human health are therefore significantly important. Once invasive marine species are established, their eradication or control is virtually impossible. Consequences of invasions include Ecosystem changes: The original species composition and/or ecological processes may be affected by the invading species. Economic impacts: Fisheries, tourism, coastal industry and other commercial activities and resources may be disrupted by the invading species resulting in loss of revenue and/or high treatment costs. Public health impacts: People may suffer illness or even die from consumption of, or direct exposure to toxic organisms, diseases and pathogens introduced through ballast water. In response to the aquatic threat, IMO member States have recently adopted the International Convention for Ballast Water Management (BWM Convention), which provides a new international legal regime to address this threat. In its article 13, the Convention requires Parties with common interests to protect the environment, human health, property and resources in a given geographical area and to provide technical assistance to train personnel, to initiate joint research and development programs and undertake action aimed at the effective implementation of the instrument. Strengthening national and regional capacity and fostering regional co-operation for the effective implementation of this convention is critical for successfully managing the issue of invasive species in the region. A set of such measures in a form of a Regional Strategic Action Plan can be considered and endorsed by the member Governments. 2. General Objectives of the Regional Strategic Action Plan The overall objectives of this regional Strategic Action Plan are: To provide a regional framework for the activities that need to be developed and implemented within the PERSGA region in order to minimize the transfer of (HAOP) in ships’ ballast water, in accordance with the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention; To enhance regional cooperation in protection of the marine environment through the existing regional bodies; and To facilitate the ratification and implementation of the IMO International Ballast Water Management Convention, by the contracting parties to the Jeddah convention within the Region. 3. Specific Objectives of the Regional Strategic Action plan 1. Ensure effective coordination and support of the ballast water related activities through the establishment of the necessary institutional framework. 2. Increase knowledge of the risks associated with the transfer of (IAS) from one place to another and build capacity to address ballast water management matters at regional and national level. Page |5 3. Facilitate the necessary regional coordination and co-operation required for development of national level legal, policy, planning and institutional arrangements to address the issue of ballast water. 4. Develop and implement compliance and monitoring programs to ensure successful implementation of the international regime regarding the transfer of IAS in ships’ ballast water. 5. Encourage regional and inter-regional co-operation and exchange of information to ensure consistent implementation of the standardized regime for ballast water management and control. 6. Identify opportunities for financing of ballast water related activities to secure sustainable implementation of the international requirement and protection of the coastal and marine resources at regional level. 4. Description of the Region 4.1General This Strategic Action Plan is concerned with the PERSGA region as identified in the Jeddah Convention (1982) which includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Suez including the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba. Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea Area means the Region which includes the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Gulf of Suez, the Suez Canal to its connection with the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden as bounded by the following rhomb-lines: From Ras Dharbat Ali (Lat.16º 39’ N, Long.53º 03.5’E). thence to a point (Lat.16º 00’ N, Long.53º 25’ E). thence to a point (Lat.12º 40’ N, Long.55º 00’ E) lying E.N.E. of Socotra Island, thence to Ras Hafun (Lat. 10º 26’ N, Long. 51º 25’ E); PERSGA Member States include Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The Waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden constitute a unique ecosystem with high biological diversity. In particular, they host an extensive system of coral reefs. Surrounded by arid terrestrial environments, the reefs support rich biological communities and representatives of several endangered species. There are also mangroves, sea grass beds, salt marshes and salt pans in the region. Fishing and continuously growing tourism industry are of highly significant importance to the economy of the region. In the year 2012 it was estimated that the total World Fisheries Production is 158 million tons (captured 91.3 million tons) & aquaculture (66.6 million tons).2 The region forms an important transport route between Europe and the Far East, particularly for the carriage of oil and commodities. Approximately 12 to 13% of the world’s seaborne oil is transported 2 FAO (2014) The State of World Fisheries and Acquaculture, opportunities and challenges. Page |6 through the region, with extremely high densities of shipping transiting the region to enter / exit the Suez Canal. There are several major oil terminals within the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden itself, where significant quantities of ballast are discharged. Coastal and marine ecosystems in the region could be highly stressed by chronic oil pollution from transit shipping. No assessment of IAS has been done, although the enclosed geography, high shipping intensities may make the issue an important one. Globalization of the economy has brought great changes to the shipping in the Region. Ships are becoming bigger and faster, which means that more ballast water is carried by ships from and to the countries. Environmental concerns are trans-boundary. Any environmental problem within any part of the region, because of its semi-enclosed nature, can no longer be considered an isolated or localized incident, but a matter with potentially far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic implications. All seven countries are member states to IMO and parties to the Jeddah convention and have the common interest in protection of the marine environment. They all have shown great concern on the threats of the human activity to the world ocean, particularly the biological invasion through shipping activities. 4.2 Existing Cooperation Schemes for the Protection of Marine Environment The main Regional cooperation scheme for the protection of Marine Environment is the Jeddah Convention and its Protocols to which most of the coastal states of the Red sea and Gulf of Aden region are contracting parties. All articles of this regional Strategic action plan are consistent with the objectives of the Convention. In addition the present draft Regional Strategic Action Plan is consistent with the objectives of all International Conventions which PERSGA member states have Ratified, namely the United Nations Convention for the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD). 5. Principal Actions The principal actions outlined in this Strategic Action Plan are structured to initiate and help support ballast water management measures throughout the region in a manner that is sustainable and consistent with international regime. 5.1 Legislative Review for Ballast Water Management Compliance and Ratification of the BWM Convention In addition to the Jeddah Convention itself, a new legally binding International Convention for Ballast Water Management has been adopted by consensus. The Ballast Water Management (BWM) convention did not yet enter into force as there are Currently 41 countries owning 30.25% of the world tonnage3 have ratified the convention. Given the nature and topography of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region, which makes the application of the Ballast water exchange standard D-1 according to the IMO convention very difficult, it is crucial that the BWM convention enters into force. Only then will the Ballast water treatment standard D-2 become mandatory which will facilitate a more practical measure for controlling the introduction of IAS into the marine environment of the region. 3 The condition for entry into force of the BWM convention is Ratification by 30 countries owning 35% of the world tonnage. Page |7 Member States to the Jeddah Convention are encouraged to ratify the Convention as early as possible as this measure could accelerate the entry into force of the convention and accelerate the application of the D2 Ballast water treatment standard onboard ships. In order to facilitate ratifying the BWM convention it is suggested that member states to the Jeddah convention carry out a Legislative Review on existing national policies and laws related to the management of IAS under other conventions4 as well as taking national policy initiatives preparing the ground and leading to the ratification of the BWM convention PERSGA shall also provide Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, which so request, with advice and technical assistance in this respect. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) To ratify Ballast Water Management Convention as soon as reasonably practical, to ensure its manifestation into national laws, and to cooperate through PERSGA to ensure full compliance with its provisions; b) To use and adapt the existing administrative infrastructure adopted for relevant international conventions to ensure compliance and enforcement of Ballast Water Management activities; and c) To request the Secretariat to provide Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, which so request, with advice and technical assistance in order to carry out the activities set forth in subparagraph (a) and (b) above. 5.2 Adopt a Voluntary Harmonized Ballast Water Management Instrument in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region Member states to the Jeddah convention are encouraged to adopt as early as possible harmonized arrangements in the region based on the requirements of the BWM convention. These arrangements will be applied by ships on a voluntary basis until the BWM convention enters into force, only then will those arrangements become mandatory. The proposed Harmonized Ballast water management instrument is attached in Annex II. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) To adopt as soon as possible the harmonized ballast water management instrument suggested in Annex II; and b) To notify the IMO of the adoption of this instrument as soon as it is adopted. 5.3 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) In the perspective of the adoption of the Ballast Water Management Convention by Regional states as well as the probable adoption of the Voluntary Harmonized Ballast Water Management Instrument, a 4 All PERSGA member states have ratified the UNCLOS and the CBD, Page |8 Regional CME System needs to be developed at the Regional level to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Ballast water Management convention. To ensure that CME measures developed under that System are effective it is essential to ascertain whether a vessel has met the requirements, to obtain relevant information about the BWM of the respective vessel and to have the ability to ensure that the vessel complies with the established requirements. The CME system should cover inter alia the following Key elements: 1. Requirement for ships to collect and record information about their BWM practices (i.e. uptake, management en route and discharge); 2. Means for ships to transmit this information to the Port States BWM regulatory authority and receive directions from them; 3. Provision for examination/auditing of the ships, official log books or other official records to ascertain compliance with the BWM requirements of the Port State; 4. Ability by the appropriate authority to take ballast water and sediment samples and carry out any necessary measurements; 5. Legal provision for “enforcement”, where necessary, for non-compliance with the required BWM requirements and provisions for applying sanctions to violations; 6. Requirement for notification of arrangements to IMO; and 7. Effective communication arrangements on a regional level to ensure proper tracking of violations and exchange of experience during the application of the CME system on a national level. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) To develop a regionally harmonized CME system in which incorporates the Key elements mentioned above as a minimum, and to include the various elements of this System in their national laws; and b) To request the Secretariat to provide Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, which so request, with advice and technical assistance in order to develop the CME system mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above. 5.4 Port Biota Baseline Surveys (PBBS) Port baseline surveys are considered vital for assessing existing natural conditions and the presence or absence of introduced marine species. Such surveys should be conducted in accordance with internationally adopted protocol / guidelines such as the protocol used by GloBallast (CRIMP Protocol) and should be conducted on an on-going basis, as a long-term biological monitoring program for each port. This will allow any existing introductions to be tracked and managed, and any new introductions to be detected and responded to. Currently it is evident that conducting Baseline Surveys by some member countries in the Region cannot be carried out without some form of capacity building, which should be given first priority before carrying out the actual activities of Baseline Surveys. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) To Establish a Regional Scientific Committee to advise on appropriate PBBS activities as related to ongoing BWM initiatives within the region; Page |9 b) To Develop and carry out regional activities to include further PBBS training and capacity building (workshops, equipment, taxonomy etc.) as well as pilot survey projects; and c) To Engage with appropriate international and regional organizations (e.g. IOI, IUCN) for potential technical assistance and support. Having achieved the necessary level of competence required to carry out PBBS; The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) That Each country completes sample identification, analysis and reporting as soon as reasonably practical; b) Ideally, each country to build on the baselines and wherever possible to implement on-going, long-term monitoring programs, for all ports in their jurisdiction; c) Each country to ensure that survey results are fed into national, regional and global databases, linked to communication and reporting systems that allow shipping to be alerted to outbreaks; and d) To request the Secretariat to provide Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, which so request, with advice and technical assistance in order to carry out all the PBBS related activities mentioned above. 5.5 Risk Assessment Risk assessment is a fundamental starting point for any country contemplating implementing a formal system to manage the transfer and introduction of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships’ Ballast Water, as each country needs to know the level and types of risks of introductions that its ports may face, as well as the most sensitive resources and values that might be threatened. Risk assessment could also facilitate the process of CME by identifying “High Risk” vessels and “High Risk” ports of origin which could narrow down the process of inspecting ships and applying CME Measures on them. Risk assessment is also an important tool, as recommended by IMO when designating Ballast water exchange areas5, and when granting exemptions to ships with regards to Ballast water management requirements. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) That a Regional level risk assessment should be carried out based on the information available through PBBS as well as studies of Vessels’ sizes (In terms of Ballast water capacities) and movements in the region; and b) To request the Secretariat to co-ordinate with IMO Globallast and offer technical assistance in carrying out the regional risk assessment mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above. 5 RESOLUTION MEPC.151(55) - Adopted on 13 October 2006 - GUIDELINES ON DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE (G14) P a g e | 10 5.6 Training & Capacity building A pre-requisite for any successful program on ballast water management is bringing all stakeholders to a common platform in terms of developing the preliminary skill-base to deal with ballast water management matters and bio-invasion in general so that the issues can be discussed among the various stakeholders in the country and in the region. A regional introductory training course on ballast water management, using the GloBallast training package, has been delivered in the region, providing an excellent first step and foundation for all further activities in ballast water management. In addition to this introductory course, more specialized training activities should be developed in collaboration with recognized training institutions within the region, and delivered to respective target groups. These training activities should cover inter alia the following subjects: 1. 2. 3. 4. Risk Assessment Port Biota Baseline Surveys (PBBS) Legal, Policy, and Institutional Aspects (LPIA) Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) It is considered that the necessary sustainability in the field of training at national level can be achieved through the creation of a small number of qualified trainers in each country who could in turn continue to provide the required training to their co-nationals. The creation of such group would be achieved by conducting training activities on a regional level with a “train-the-trainers” approach to ensure that capacity is built for further training efforts, after which each country will replicate the training programs at the national level. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) To carry out an assessment of their training needs in different aspects related to Ballast water Management activities, identifying target groups within their administrative structure requiring such training, and nominating target personnel who should be receiving regional training with the “train the trainer” approach; b) To request the Secretariat to improve the knowledge and expertise of the Target groups identified as per paragraph (a) above by establishing a regional program of training activities; and c) To establish national training programs on Ballast water Management related activities, replicating the regional training program as per paragraph (b) above. 5.7 Regional and Inter – Regional Cooperation A key objective of this activity is to achieve regional coordination and harmony in implementation of the Ballast Water Management Strategies in line with the BWM Convention. Regional cooperation is also necessary to disseminate the lessons learned from the national level activities at regional level. The Creation of an effective and active Regional Task Force (RTF), headed by PERSGA, will help to facilitate this process as the RTF will be instrumental in efforts to replicate program results beyond the region at continental and global level. P a g e | 11 In addition, Communication and alignment with neighboring regions and their BWM structures (e.g. Mediterranean and ROPME Strategies for BWM) is needed to ensure consistency between the regimes, and also to promote sharing of information between these interlinked marine regions. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) That all Red Sea and Gulf of Aden countries (which have not already done so) establish competent agencies and nominate Country Focal Points (CFPs) to form the Regional Task Force responsible for ballast water related activities; and b) To request PERSGA to open communication channels with neighboring regional organizations such as REMPEC and ROPME to promote sharing of information and knowledge regarding BWM related activities and initiatives taken in those regions. 5.8 National Action Plans One of the primary steps in achieving the proposed objectives of the Strategic Action Plan will be the creation of National Task Forces (NTF) including all the main stakeholders with an interest in ballast water management. The NTF in each of the participating countries will develop their National Action Plan for ballast water management that will support, and generally follow, the activities outlined in this Strategic Action Plan. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) That all Red Sea and Gulf of Aden countries (which have not already done so) establish a National Task Force responsible for the development and support of Ballast water management activities on a national level; and b) That all Red Sea and Gulf of Aden countries (which have not already done so) develop National Action Plans to implement the activities outlined in the Regional Strategic Action Plan. 5.9 Institutional Component The Jeddah Convention may provide appropriate legal framework to channel the efforts at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden level. In order to strengthen the Institutional Capacity of the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – PERSGA, a Program Coordination Unit (PCU) within PERSGA should be established. The PCU will strengthen the capacity of PERSGA in coordinating and implementing the work program, and ensure co-operation with other environmental and development programs in the Region. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree to Request the Secretariat to Establish a Program Coordination Unit (PCU) within PERSGA, In accordance with PERSGA administrative structure. P a g e | 12 5.10 Communications and Public Awareness Raising Component Although some regional awareness raising efforts have been made through the PERSGA activities, information about the danger of transfers of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens through uncontrolled discharge of ballast water is not well known at the regional level. This lack of information and generally low level of awareness of the ballast water issue is seen as an extremely important, early priority. With a view to promoting the Contracting Parties’ national programs for raising the awareness of the general public and target groups, including decision-makers, about the risks associated with introducing non-indigenous marine species into the Region, it is recommended that Public awareness materials already prepared by IMO GloBallast and available for download from its website6 such as brochures, posters and other educational and awareness materials are to be downloaded, translated to Arabic language and made available to the National Focal Points for them to circulate in their respective countries. To facilitate information exchange related to Ballast Water Management issues among the contracting parties, an information exchange network is considered necessary for the region. This network will facilitate communications with and between countries, as well as function as a clearing house mechanism (CHM) for data and ballast water management related information within the region. The CHM should be web based to facilitate the access to and update of information and should include the following modules: 1. Risk assessment a. Risk assessment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Ports b. Risk assessment methodologies, guidelines c. The results of risk assessment studies done by other countries d. Target invasive species 2. Ballast Water Reporting Form a. Ballast water reporting form system b. Statistical results of ballast water discharges 3. Invasive species Database a. Searching by name and habitat 4. Scientists database 5. Legal Instruments a. Ballast water convention b. IMO and Other Guidelines c. National legal instruments 6. National Competent Authorities a. GloBallast Partnership focal points b. Maritime Authorities c. Environmental Authorities d. Scientific Institutes 7. Ship routes 8. Awareness Raising tools 9. Port biological baseline surveys a. Port biological baseline survey guideline b. PBBS Workshop presentations 6 http://globallast.imo.org/index.asp?page=AwarenessMaterials.htm&menu=true P a g e | 13 c. PBBS Studies in other countries The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, Contracting Parties to the Jeddah Convention, agree: a) That IMO GloBallast Public awareness materials, particularly those in Arabic be downloaded and provided for NFP for circulation; b) That countries which have not already done so endeavor to carry out national level seminars to raise awareness of the issue among various stakeholders; c) To establish a web based CHM as soon as possible composed of the elements mentioned above; and d) To request the Secretariat to provide Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Coastal States, which so request, with advice and technical assistance in order to carry out the activities mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (c) above. 6. Resources and Financing In addition to budgetary resources provided through multilateral and bilateral donors a vital objective of this Strategic Action Plan is to identify and secure opportunities for self-financing of the ballast water related activities beyond the external intervention. Recognizing that the development of self-financing mechanisms will largely be handled at the national level, the Regional Task Force shall aid the review of opportunities for self-financing of the activities related to ballast water management to the extent possible There are various possibilities for financing the Ballast water related activities by the State .These include inter alia: State budget; Partnerships with international institutions; Partnerships with other States; Partnerships with private sector, including in particular the shipping industry; and Specific national funds financed through targeted taxation of certain commercial activities, and/or through accumulation of fines imposed on offenders of applicable rules and regulations. The RTF will evaluate any opportunities for ongoing resource mobilization, collaborations or cofinancing in order to help sustain ballast water management activities in the long-term. 7. Implementation the Strategic Action Plan The RTF will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the SAP. The RTF should include National Focal Points (NFP). The NFP will be supported by National Task Forces consisting of representatives of the Maritime Administration, Environmental Authorities, the scientific community and industry. It is recommended that a contacts’ directory (e-mail, telephone, fax, etc.) is maintained for communication between RTF members. P a g e | 14 The RTF should meet every year, or whenever necessary, to review the implementation of the National and Regional Action Plans and make recommendations and decisions on relevant matters. The shipping industry (including ports of the region) should be made fully aware of the issue and involved in the SAP activities. Page |I Annex I: Work Plan Specific Objective Activities a. 1. 2. 3. Legislative Review for Ballast Water Management Compliance and Ratifications of the BWM convention: b. Adopt a harmonized Ballast water management regime in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region: a. b. notifying IMO of the adoption of the harmonized ballast water regime as soon as it is adopted Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) a. developing a regionally harmonized CME system and including its various elements in their national laws Establish a Regional Scientific Committee to advise on appropriate PBBS activities as related to ongoing BWM initiatives within the region Develop and carry out regional / National activities to include further PBBS training and capacity building (workshops, equipment, taxonomy etc.) as well as pilot survey projects; and a. b. 4. Ratification of the Ballast Water Management Convention, ensuring its manifestation into national laws, and cooperating through PERSGA to ensure full compliance with its provisions. using and adapting the existing administrative infrastructure adopted for relevant international conventions outlined in Annex II to ensure compliance and enforcement of Ballast Water Management activities Adopting the Voluntary Harmonized Ballast Water Regime attached in Annex II c. Engage with appropriate international and regional organizations for potential technical assistance and support. d. Each country completes sample identification, analysis and reporting each country to build on the baselines and wherever possible to implement on-going, long-term monitoring programmes, for all ports in their jurisdiction; Port Biota Baseline Surveys (PBBS): e. f. Each country to ensure that survey results are fed into national, regional and global databases, linked to communication and reporting systems that allow shipping to be alerted to outbreaks Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 P a g e | II Specific Objective Activities a. 5. 6. Risk Assessment Training Building and Capacity a. b. c. a. 7. Regional and Inter-regional Co-operation 8. National Action Plans 9. Institutional Component b. a. b. a. a. 10. Communications and Public Awareness b. c. A Regional level risk assessment to be carried out based on the information available through PBBS as well as studies of Vessels’ sizes (In terms of Ballast water capacities) and movements in the region Assessment of Training needs and identifying target groups Establishing a regional training Program Covering identified training needs for Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Countries. Establishing and running national training programs on Ballast water related activities Identification of Competent agencies and nomination of countries’ Focal Points (CFP) Establishment of communication channels between PERSGA and neighboring regional organizations such as REMPEC and ROPME to promote sharing of information and knowledge regarding BWM related activities and initiatives taken in those regions. Establishment of a National Task Force Development of National Action Plans for Ballast Water Management Establishing a PCU Within PERSGA for co-coordinating the SAP activities IMO Globallast Public awareness materials to be downloaded, translated to local languages and provided for NFP for circulation Carrying out national level seminars to raise awareness of the issue among various stakeholders Establishing a web based CHM Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Page |I Annex II Voluntary Harmonized Instrument for Ballast Water Management in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Introduction: The voluntary harmonized instrument is being submitted under paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the Ballast Water Management Convention whereby Parties with common interest to protect the environment, human health, property and resources, particularly those bordering enclosed or semienclosed seas, shall endeavor to enhance regional cooperation, including through the conclusion of regional agreements consistent with the Convention. The proposed instrument is based on the requirements of the Ballast Water Management Convention and is being proposed as an interim instrument. The instrument is voluntary; therefore, ships entering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area are encouraged to apply these guidelines on a voluntary basis. This instrument will no longer apply when a ship meets the ballast water performance standard contained in regulation D-2 of the Convention, or when the Convention comes into force and a ship has to apply the D-2 standard. Definitions: Convention means the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments; and is hereunder referred to as “Ballast Water Management Convention”; Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea Area means the Region which includes the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Gulf of Suez, the Suez Canal to its connection with the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden as bounded by the following rhomb-lines: From Ras Dharbat Ali (Lat.16º 39’ N, Long.53º 03.5’E). thence to a point (Lat.16º 00’ N, Long.53º 25’ E). thence to a point (Lat.12º 40’ N, Long.55º 00’ E) lying E.N.E. of Socotra Island, thence to Ras Hafun (Lat. 10º 26’ N, Long. 51º 25’ E); Harmonized Ballast Water Regime: 1. Ships entering the waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area, should take every possible effort to: (a) Undertake ballast water exchange before entering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area, according to the standard set out in the D-1 Standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention, and at least 200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters at least 200 meters in depth7; (b) In situations where this is not possible, either due to deviating the ship from its intended voyage or delaying the ship, or for safety reasons, such exchange should be undertaken as applicable, according to the standard set out in the D-1 Standard of the Ballast Water 7 These geographical parameters are those set by Regulation B-4.1.1 of the Ballast Water Management Convention. P a g e | II Management Convention, as far from the nearest land as possible, and in all cases in waters at least 50 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters of at least 200 meters depth8. The above conditions set in subparagraph (a) and (b) apply in both cases where the destination port is in the Red sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area, or in case the ship will only be transiting the Red sea and Gulf of Aden sea area. 2. The release of sediments during the cleaning or repairing operations of ballast tanks should take place in sediment reception facilities in ports and terminals, according to Article 5 of the Ballast Water Management Convention, and discharge of such sediments into the water shall be prohibited while the ship is sailing in the Red sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area. 3. Exemptions can be granted to a ship on a voyage between specified ports or locations within the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area, or to a ship operating exclusively between specified ports or locations within the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area. These exemptions are to be granted according to Regulation A-4 1 of the Ballast Water Management Convention and based on the Guidelines for risk assessment under regulation A-4 of the BWM Convention developed by the International Maritime Organization9. 4. As per Regulation B-4 of the Ballast Water Management Convention, if the safety or stability of the ship is threatened by a ballast water exchange operation, this operation should not be undertaken. The reasons should be entered in the ballast water record book and a Report should be submitted to the maritime authorities of the Port of destination. 5. Each vessel calling at a port within the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sea area is required to have on board a Ballast Water Management Plan complying with requirements of the Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast water Management Plans developed by the International Maritime Organization10 and to keep a record of all ballast water operations carried out. 8 These geographical parameters are those set by Regulation B-4.1.2 of the Ballast Water Management Convention. Guidelines for Risk Assessment under Regulation A-4 of the BWM Convention (G7), adopted on 13 July 2007. Resolution MEPC.162(56) 10 Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast Water Management Plans (G4), adopted on 22 July 2005. Resolution MEPC.127 (53). 9