BIMCO position statement 10: Underwater Radiated Noise
Overview
BIMCO's position has been approved by the BIMCO Board of Directors.
Background
Underwater radiated noise (URN) and its impact on the marine environment are not yet covered by IMO regulations, but guidelines on reducing underwater radiated noise from commercial shipping have been adopted were revised by the IMO sub-committee on Ship Design and Construction. The draft revised guidelines are subject for adoption by IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee.A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is an area that needs special protection due to its recognised ecological or socio-economic or scientific significance, and which may be vulnerable to damage by ships. IMO can designate such an area when it fulfils certain criteria. For example, ship routeing measures can be proposed for adoption in connection with a PSSA to protect marine life from URN.
At present, noise-reduction technologies apply to specialized ship types, such as navy and research ships and are not available on a large-scale nor economically feasible for implementation on commercial ships.
BIMCO’s position
- BIMCO will work to ensure that any future targets are based on scientifically sound research on the impact on marine life.
- BIMCO supports the revised IMO guidelines on the reduction of underwater radiated noise from commercial shipping, including its recommendations, that shipowners and designers should plan URN management at the earliest design stages, and for existing ships to the extent reasonable and practicable.
- BIMCO believes that mandatory ship design requirements to minimise underwater radiated noise should apply only to new ships and ships which may undergo major modifications.
- BIMCO finds that the criteria used for the designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) could be suitable to help mitigate underwater radiated noise from ships.
- New measures to reduce underwater radiated noise should be assessed for unintended consequences such as increased GHG emissions. Introduction of measures that counterbalance the envisioned benefit should be carefully considered and only implemented if the negative consequences are acceptable.
- BIMCO will become a strategic partner to the IMO Global Partnership for Mitigation of Underwater Noise from Shipping (GloNoise Partnership) to raise awareness of underwater noise from shipping.
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Posted:
26 June 2019
Updated: 15 June 2023
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