Guidance on ballast water record-keeping and reporting published by IMO

The International Maritime Organization has published the Guidance on ballast water record-keeping and reporting.

BWM.2/Circ.80 was published on 14 July 2023.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its eightieth session (3 to 7 July 2023), approved the Guidance on ballast water record-keeping and reporting to assist in bringing clarity to the record-keeping and reporting process under the BWM Convention, including guidance on completing the Ballast Water Record Book, an updated example ballast water reporting form, and an example form for voluntary tank-by-tank logging of ballast water operations, as set out in the annex.

Member Governments are invited to bring this Guidance to the attention of all parties concerned.

Purpose

The first part of this document (section 2, Ballast Water Record Book), which is intended for ship crews, explains how ballast water operations should be recorded by making mandatory entries in the Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB).

These records are required by the Convention.

These records may also assist the ship in properly implementing its Ballast Water Management Plan and in operating and maintaining any ballast water management system (BWMS) that is being used.

The second part (section 3, Ballast water reporting form), intended for ship crews and port States, contains an example ballast water reporting form (BWRF) together with instructions for completing it.

A BWRF may be submitted prior to entry into a port State that requires specific information regarding the management of ballast water on ships bound for its ports, offshore terminals or anchorage areas.

The third part (section 4, Voluntary tank-by-tank log), intended for ship crews, explains how to maintain voluntary tank-by-tank records of ballast water operations that may facilitate completion of a BWRF by allowing the crew to efficiently track the contents of each tank and hold that carries ballast water.

Maintaining these voluntary records may also assist the ship in documenting and demonstrating that the requirements of the Convention have been met.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Guidance on ballast water record-keeping and reporting