
North Sea ballast water exchange area's
OSPAR 2014 endorsed the decision to designate ballast water exchange areas in the North
Sea. These ballast water exchange areas are for intra North Sea traffic only and should
be seen as a temporary regulation. It terminates when ships shall meet regulation D-2 of
the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water and
Sediments (the Convention).
Norway has implemented parts of the Ballast Water
Management Convention (Regulation D-1; the exchange standard) in its national
regulations which entered into force on 1 July 2010. Three exchange areas have been
designated within Norway´s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Purpose
1 This regulation designates areas in which ballast water exchange can take place in the
North Sea for intra North Sea traffic, in accordance with the Convention. A ship on a
voyage between two North Sea ports, which must at least meet the standards described in
regulation D-1 of the Convention, may conduct ballast water exchange in these areas.
This designation of areas of ballast water exchange in the North Sea is a temporary
regulation. It enters into force when the Convention enters into force, and terminates
when ships shall meet regulation D-2 of the Convention, as outlined in IMO
resolution A.1088(28).
2 Within Norwegian territorial waters and economic zone the Norwegian national
regulation applies. The Norwegian regulations entered into force on 1 July 2010. Norway
has implemented parts of the Ballast Water Management Convention (D-1; Exchange
standard) in its national regulations. The Norwegian Ballast Water Regulation entered
into force on 1 July 2010. As regulation B-4.2 in the BWMC allows, Norway has designated
areas for ballast water exchange within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Areas within
Norway's EEZ are therefore excluded from the current proposal.
Introduction
3 The Convention aims "to prevent, minimize and ultimately eliminate the risks to the
environment, human health, property and resources arising from the transfer of harmful
aquatic organisms and pathogens through the control and management of ships' Ballast
Water and Sediments, as well as to avoid unwanted side-effects from that control and to
encourage developments in related knowledge and technology."
4 Regulation B-3 of the Convention states for different categories of ships when Ballast
Water Management must be conducted to at least meeting the standard described in
regulation D-1: "Ballast water Exchange Standard".
5 Regulation B-4.2 of the Convention allows ports States to designate areas, in
consultation with adjacent or other States, as appropriate, where ships may conduct
ballast water exchange. Regulation B-4.2 determines that such sea areas can be
designated in sea areas where the distance from the nearest land or the depth does not
meet the parameters described in paragraph 1.1 or 1.2 of the regulation. The North Sea
falls under this category, as the required depth is to shallow.
6 The identification, assessment and designation of these areas were done taking into
account the relevant guideline of the Convention: "Guidelines on Designation of Areas
for Ballast Water Exchange (G14)."
7 The assessment of identified areas was done in the European Space Agency (ESA) Due
Innovator II project. The goal of this project was to investigate the opportunity for
remote sensing data to contribute to the risk assessment of Ballast Water exchange. Some
of the basic principles used were:
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- clear water indicates a low risk;
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- high chlorophyll concentration indicates high risk;
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- a close distance to the coast indicates a high risk; and
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- low depth indicates a high risk.
After careful consideration, the group proposed that ballast water exchange should, in
principle, be avoided in areas with a risk index of 0.75 and above; consequently areas
with a risk index lower than 0.75 can be designated as ballast water exchange areas.
However, while the group agreed that a high standard of protection was desirable, taking
into consideration regulation B-4 of the BWMC, the group agreed that a delay of the
voyage of a deviation from the intended voyage should be avoided. The group noted that
options for exchange on the Traffic Separations Scheme Terschelling-German Bight might
not be sufficient with the proposed index value of 0.75. Rather than lowering the
standard of protection for the North Sea as a whole, the group agreed to adjust the
boundary of the designated ballast water exchange area around the TSS, in order to
afford ships bound on the TSS the opportunity for ballast water exchange.
8 The North Sea area meansfootnote the North Sea proper including seas therein with the
boundary between:
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.1 the North Sea southwards of latitude 62° N and eastwards of longitude 4° W;
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.2 the Skagerrak and part of the Kattegat, the southern limit of which is
determined east of the Skaw by latitude 57°44' N; and
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.3 the English Channel and its approaches eastwards of longitude 5° W and
northwards of latitude 48°30' N.
Ballast Water Exchange in the North Sea
9 A ship, on a voyage between 2 ports located in the North Sea, which under the
Convention shall at least meet the standard described in regulation D-1, may conduct
ballast water exchange in the designated ballast water exchange area in the North Sea. A
ship conducting ballast water exchange in this area shall comply with all the
regulations for ballast water exchange in the Convention, with the exception of
regulation B-4.1.
10 The designated ballast water exchange area in the North Sea is the area with a risk
index ARI of less than 0.75, the area which is not red, corrected for the
"Kompromisslinie" for the Traffic Separations Scheme Terschelling-German Bight, and
corrected for the Norwegian EEZ.