By Jite Eriabie
Jamaica and Malta have become the latest States to sign up to the International Maritime Oranisation (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention – the international treaty requiring ships to manage their ballast water to help stop the spread of invasive aquatic species across the globe.
The Convention entered into force on 8 September and a total of 65 signatories now represent 73.92% of the world’s merchant fleet tonnage.
Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith and the High Commissioner of Jamaica to the United Kingdom, H.E. Seth George Ramocan, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London to deposit Jamaica’s instrument of accession to the Conventionon Monday while on Tuesday, Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects of Malta met the Secretary-General and emphasized the importance of the treaty – to which Malta acceded earlier this month.
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