Seagoing bulk carriers when not carrying cargo or is lightly loaded, sufficient ballast must be
carried to ensure that the ship stress, stability, draft, trim and propeller immersion is within
permissible limits to guarantee the safe handling of the vessel in the prevailing or expected
conditions. In meeting these parameters the vessel must comply, at least, with the requirements
of the IMO, Class (especially appendix to Class Certificate) and Port State Authorities.
In 1993 IMO adopted Resolution A.774 (18) Guidelines for Preventing the Introduction of
Unwanted Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens from Ships Ballast Water and Sediment Discharges.
Masters are to ensure compliance with them.
Micro organism loaded with ballast water
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and Sediments
(BWM Convention) All around the world more than 10 billion tons of ballast water are carried in
ships each year, containing thousands of species of aquatic animals and plants, creating problems
for the marine environment and human health, threatening the aquatic flora and economies that
depend on healthy aquatic ecosystems.
In February 2004 the IMO has adopted the International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ship Ballast Water and Sediments, which is expected to enter into force in early
2012.
Since the adoption of the Convention, IMO has developed a series of guidelines that further clarify
the requirements of the Convention. Detailed list can be found in the ABS notice Ballast Water
Treatment Advisory. The purpose of the Convention is to regulate discharges of ballast water and
to reduce the risk of introducing non-native species that could harm sensitive ecosystems.
In order to show compliance with the requirements of the Convention each vessel shall have on
board a valid certificate, a Ballast Water Management Plan and a Ballast Water Record Book. Until
the ballast water performance standard D2 becomes compulsory, ship owners are not required,
yet encouraged, to install a Ballast Water Treatment System onboard their vessels. As an interim
means, referred to as ballast water exchange standard D1, ships have to exchange their ballast
water at sea.
Ballast operations must always be carried out within the capabilities of the vessel and its systems.
Designated officer
The Chief Officer is designated to carry out these procedures and maintain all records as required.
The Master is to ensure the Chief Officer is familiar with the requirements of this section including
IMO Guidelines. The Master must also ensure that all the crew members are given the instruction
and are aware of the need for ballast water control procedures and the procedures being adopted
on board.
Planning of the ballast operations
Ballast operations are always to be planned in advance by the Chief Officer and entered in the
Cargo Loading and Discharge Plan. The plan is to be approved by the Master prior to commencing
the operation.
Each vessel must produce a standard plan for a complete change of ballast.
Records and reporting
When taking on ballast waters, the date and time of commencement and completion of the
ballast operation, ship position, salinity (specific gravity) and amount of ballast water taken
onboard must be recorded in the ship Deck Log Book.
A report in the format shown in the appendix to IMO Guidelines must be completed by the Master
and made available to the Port State Authority on request. Analysis certificates, ballast reports
and shore receipts must always be kept on board in a separate file.
When the Port State Authority water ballast control requirements (e.g. exchange of ballast at sea)
cannot be met during the voyage due to weather condition, operational impracticability, etc, the
Master must report this fact to the Company and the prospective Port State Authority prior to
entering its national waters (economical zone), so that appropriate alternative action can be
arranged.
Controls applied by port state authorities
The Master is to check in advance with the local agent, and the latest Port Guide, for any
information on ballast water sediment discharge procedures, being applied by the State
Authorities at an expected port of call. These procedures may include, but are not limited, the
following control actions:
The non-release of ballast water;
Ballast water exchange and sediment removal at sea or in acceptable areas;
Ballast water management practices aimed at minimising the uptake of contaminated water in
ballasting and deballasting operations;
Discharge of ballast water into shore-facilities.
Failure to comply with national requirements may lead to unnecessary delays for the ship. In some
cases penalties may be applied by Ports State Authorities. The vessel may be required to proceed
to an approved location to carry out the necessary exchange, seal the ballast tanks against
discharge in the Port States waters, pump the ballast water to shore reception facilities, or prove,
by laboratory analysis, that the ballast water is acceptable.
Micro organism introduced with ballast water
Loading of ballast water
When loading ballast every effort is to be made to ensure only clean ballast is being taken
onboard and the intake of sediment is minimised. Where practicable, vessels are to avoid taking
on ballast water in shallow water areas or in the vicinity of dredging operations.
Vessels must not ballast if at all practicable in areas where there is a known outbreak of water
communicable diseases or where phytoplankton blooms are occurring.
It is recognised however, that when vessels trade to river or estuary ports, intake of some silts and
sediment is unavoidable. In such situations the amount of silt taken on board can often be
substantially reduced by planning to ballast on the flood tide when the suspended silt levels are
normally lower.
Vessels taking on ballast in river or estuary waters or any other areas where the purity of the
water is in doubt, including areas of probable contamination from chemicals, disease, pathogens
etc. must follow the control procedures .
When ballast has been loaded in silted or otherwise polluted water, the ballast is to be changed as
soon as possible after leaving that port. It is also essential that this is carried out to prevent the
build up of mud in ballast tanks which may reduce the vessels cargo lifting capacity.
Whenever possible the initial filling of the ballast tanks should be run in from the sea by gravity, in
preference to pumping it in. In general, ballast tanks are to be filled to 100% capacity, but not be
overflowed.
Untreated ballast water can destroy local eco system
Discharge of ballast water
No ballast is to be discharged in the continental shelf, coastal or port waters where ballast water
and sediment control measures are being applied by State Authorities, the ballast water and
sediment control procedures have been followed, or acceptable alternatives have been adopted.
The effectiveness of the vessels procedures may be verified by Port State Authorities taking
samples of ballast water and/or sediments from the vessel, to test for the continued survival of
unwanted aquatic organisms and pathogens. Such samples may also be taken from suction wells,
chain lockers and other areas where sediment may accumulate. In certain cases discharge of
ballast will not be permitted until analysis of such samples is completed. The Master is to ensure
that relevant written authorisation is obtained from the Port Authority prior to discharging any
ballast to coastal waters of any country that exercises ballast control measures.
Shortly after commencement and during discharge of any ballast overboard the surface of the sea
is to be checked frequently to guard against accidental pollution.
