The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is actively working to combat underwater pollution by establishing and updating regulations and guidelines to prevent noise pollution from ships.
For instance, during MEPC 82 Committee (30 September to 4 October 2024), IMO approved amendments to the Revised guidelines for the reduction of underwater radiated noise from shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life (Revised URN Guidelines) (MEPC.1/Circ.906/Rev.1), to include a URN management planning reference chart.
What is underwater noise from ships?
Underwater noise from ships refers to the sounds produced by vessels during operations, including engine noise, propeller cavitation, and hull vibrations. This noise can propagate through water and disrupt marine life, affecting communication, navigation, and behavior of various aquatic species.
Noise pollution varies in each area. For instance, according to EMSA’s NAVISON report that examines underwater noise in Europe, areas that currently have the highest sound pressure level (SPL) are:
- English Channel
- Strait of Gibraltar
- Adriatic Sea
- Dardanelles Strait
- Parts of the Baltic Sea
Furthermore, the Committee approved the Action Plan for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping (URN Action Plan), to be reviewed and revised as necessary. The URN Action Plan aims to address barriers to the uptake of the Revised URN Guidelines in order to further prevent and reduce URN from ships.
The Action Plan outlines a number of tasks to be carried out by Member States through the relevant IMO organs. These include initiatives such as:
- Establishing an experience-building phase (EBP) during which Member States and international organizations are invited to share lessons learned and best practices that have emerged in the implementation of the Revised Guidelines.
- Enhancing public awareness, education and seafarer training
- Developing targets and policies for underwater noise reduction
- Developing tools to collect data and share information
- Encouraging more research on underwater noise and its impacts on the marine environment
Moreover, the Committee agreed to continue with the three-year experience-building phase (EBP) for the Revised URN Guidelines, expected to conclude by MEPC 85 in 2026 but with a possibility of an extension of up to two years if necessary, for experience to be gained and best practices in the use of the Revised URN Guidelines to be developed, followed by a review to make any necessary amendments to the Guidelines.
Finally, recently, BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have developed a guide which aims to help the shipping industry understand and reduce underwater radiated noise from ships and help the industry implement the underwater noise guidelines from IMO.
