Page 28: of Marine News Magazine (November 2025)

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Feature

Ballast Water Management Systems © Douglas/AdobeStock

THE GREAT

LAKES BWMS

REGULATION

SCRUM

There hasn’t been an invasives species introduced to the Great

Lakes from ballast water since 2006. So, what’s the problem now?

By Wendy Laursen s far as Transport Canada is concerned: “Scientif- Currently, compliance testing doesn’t involve ensuring ic sampling to date consistently shows that bal- treatment ef? cacy in the waters of the Great Lakes which last water management systems (BWMS) used have high tannin and sediment loads and vary in tempera-

A in the Great Lakes reduce organism densities in ture across the lakes from freezing to over 70 degrees.

ballast water discharges by over 99%, consistent with global “Our test conditions are probably the most dif? cult test evidence. As crews gain experience in operating these sys- conditions in the world, and no BWMS that’s commercial- tems, performance continues to improve, contributing to the ly available has been proved to work. The US recognizes ongoing protection of Canada’s waters from invasive species.” that, and they’ve given a pass to Lakers.”

However, a 2025 publication supported by Transport Can- In contrast, Weakley says vessels are deemed compliant by ada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada reported that nearly Transport Canada if they have a BWMS onboard, even if oper- half of discharge samples studied did not comply with the ating it doesn’t meet the numerical standard for the maximum

IMO Convention D-2 performance standard. The Conven- number of viable organisms discharged. The IMO Ballast tion, like the USCG ballast water regulations, includes or- Water Management Convention does not include a “deemed ganism discharge standards - not reduction percentage levels. compliant” provision mentioned by Transport Canada.

BWMS are not working, says James Weakley, President of He says Canada has gotten “cute” by claiming to have juris- the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). The association is work- diction over US ports. “They believe that if the ballast water ing with various research organizations, the EPA and the US originated in Canada and it’s discharged in the US, that Can-

Coast Guard to test systems. “There’s no equipment that will ada now has jurisdiction over that US port, because the ballast work on a US-? ag Laker under the American rules,” he says. water originated in Canada.” Transport Canada does not have 28 | MN November 2025