1 Ship Operational Procedures

1.1 Precautionary practices

Avoiding unnecessary discharge of ballast water

1.1.1 If it is necessary to take on and discharge ballast water in the same port to facilitate safe cargo operations, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary discharge of ballast water that has been taken up in another port.

1.1.2 Managed ballast water which is mixed with unmanaged ballast water is no longer in compliance with Regulations D-1 and D-2 of the Annex to the Convention.

Minimizing the uptake of harmful aquatic organisms, pathogens and sediments

1.1.3 When loading ballast, every effort should be made to avoid the uptake of potentially harmful aquatic organisms, pathogens, and sediment that may contain such organisms. The uptake of ballast water should be minimized or, where practicable, avoided in areas and situations such as:

.1 in areas identified by the port State in connection with advice provided by ports under paragraph 2.2.2;
.2 in darkness when organisms may rise up in the water column;
.3 in very shallow water;
.4 where propellers may stir up sediment; or
.5 where dredging is or recently has been carried out.

1.2 Ballast water management options

1.2.1 Ballast Water Exchange

1.2.1.1 Ballast water exchange is to be conducted in accordance with Regulation B-4 of the Convention and in accordance with the Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange.

1.2.1.2 The voyage should be planned taking into account when ballast water exchange in accordance with Regulation B-4 of the Convention can be carried out.

1.2.1.3 Because of the possibility that partially exchange may encourage re-growth of organisms, ballast water exchange should only be commenced in any tank if there is sufficient time to complete the exchange to comply with the standard in Regulation D-1 and the ship can comply with the distance from land and minimum water depth criteria in Regulation B-4. As many complete tanks should be exchanged to the standard in Regulation D-1 as the time allows, if for any tank the standard in Regulation D-1 can not be fully met the exchange should not be commenced for that tank.

1.2.1.4 If ballast water exchange is not undertaken for the reasons in Regulation B-4.4, i.e. if the master reasonably decides that such exchange would threaten the safety or stability of the ship, its crew, or its passengers because of adverse weather, ship design or stress, equipment failure, or any other extraordinary condition, then details of the reasons ballast water exchange was not undertaken are to be recorded in the Ballast Water Record Book.

1.2.1.5 A port State may designate areas in which exchange may be conducted taking into account the Guidelines on designation of areas for ballast water exchange. Designated areas should only be used for those ballast water tanks that are intended to be discharged in the port of that State and that could not be exchanged in accordance with Regulation B-4.1 of the Convention.

1.2.2 Ballast Water Management Systems

1.2.2.1 Ballast Water Management Systems installed for compliance with Regulation B-3 are to be approved in accordance with Regulation D-3. Such systems are to be operated in accordance with the system design criteria and the manufacture's operational and maintenance instructions. The use of such systems should be detailed in the ship's Ballast Water Management Plan. All failures and malfunctions of the system are to be recorded in the Ballast Water Record Book.

1.2.3 Discharge to ballast water reception facilities

1.2.3.1 If ballast water reception facilities provided by a port State are utilized, Regulation B-3.6 applies.

1.2.4 Prototype ballast water treatment technologies

1.2.4.1 Prototype ballast water treatment technologies should be used within a programme approved by the Administration in accordance with Regulation D-4.

1.3 Sediment management

1.3.1 Regulation B-5 requires that all ships shall remove and dispose of sediments from spaces designated to carry ballast water in accordance with the ballast water management plan.

1.3.2 All practical steps should be taken during ballast uptake to avoid sediment accumulation, however, it is recognized that sediment will be taken on board and will settle on tank surfaces. When sediment has accumulated, consideration should be given to flushing tank bottoms and other surfaces when in suitable areas, i.e. areas complying with the minimum depth and distance described by Regulations B-4.1.1 and B-4.1.2.

1.3.3 The volume of sediment in a ballast tank should be monitored on a regular basis.

1.3.4 Sediment in ballast tanks should be removed in a timely basis in accordance with the Ballast Water Management Plan and as found necessary. The frequency and timing of removal will depend on factors such as sediment build up, ship's trading pattern, availability of reception facilities, work load of the ship's personnel and safety considerations.

1.3.5 Removal of sediment from ballast tanks should preferably be undertaken under controlled conditions in port, at a repair facility or in dry dock. The removed sediment should preferably be disposed of in a sediment reception facility if available, reasonable and practicable.

1.3.6 When sediment is removed from the ship's ballast tanks and is to be disposed of by that ship at sea, such disposal should only take place in areas outside 200 nm from land and in water depths of over 200 m.

1.3.7 Regulation B-5 requires that ships constructed in or after 2009 should, without compromising safety or operational efficiency, be designed and constructed with a view to minimize the uptake and undesirable entrapment of sediments, facilitate removal of sediments, and provide safe access to allow for sediment removal and sampling, taking into account the Guidelines for sediment control on ships (G12). This also applies to ships constructed prior to 2009, to the extent practicable.

1.4 Additional Measures

1.4.1 Ships to which additional measures apply, under Regulation C-1, should take them into account in the ships voyage planning. Actions taken to comply with any additional measures should be recorded in the Ballast Water Record Book.

1.5 Exemptions

1.5.1 Regulation A-4 provides that an exemption may be granted from the requirements of Regulations B-3 or C-1 by a Party or Parties to a ship in specific circumstances. Applications for and the granting of such exemptions should be completed in accordance with the Guidelines for risk assessment under regulation A-4 (G7).

1.5.2 Ships granted an exemption referred to in paragraph 1.5.1 above should record the exemption in the Ballast Water Record Book and what actions have been taken with regards to the ships ballast water.