IMO’s Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC) has agreed on an Action Plan to further prevent and reduce underwater radiated noise (URN) from ships.
The aim is to minimise the adverse effects of underwater noise on the marine environment, particularly on marine wildlife and indigenous communities. The Action Plan will be submitted for endorsement at MEPC 81, to be held in March 2024. 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
The Action Plan aligns with other initiatives the IMO is taking in this area. During 2024, the IMO and UNDP plan to launch the GloNoise Partnership project to assist developing countries to raise awareness, build capacity and collect information to support the policy dialogue on mitigating underwater noise from shipping.
Image source: IMO
