1 Introduction
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Marine Environment Protection Committee - Resolution MEPC.127(53) - Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast Water Management Plans (G4) - (Adopted on 22 July 2005) - Annex - Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast Water Management Plans (G4) - 1 Introduction

1 Introduction

  1.1 Ballast water is essential to control trim, list, draught, stability, or stresses of the ship. However, ballast water may contain aquatic organisms or pathogens which, if introduced into the sea including estuaries, or into fresh water courses, may create hazards to the environment, human health, property or resources, impair biological diversity or interfere with other legitimate uses of such areas.

  1.2 The selection of appropriate methods of ballast water management should take into account the need ensure that Ballast Water Management practices used to comply with this Convention do not cause greater harm than they prevent to the environment, human health, property or resources of any States and the safety of ships.

  1.3 The objectives of these Guidelines are to assist Governments, appropriate authorities, ships masters, operators and owners, and port authorities, as well as other interested parties, in preventing, minimizing and ultimately eliminating the risk of introducing harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens from ships' ballast water and associated sediments while protecting ships' safety in applying the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention").

  1.4 These guidelines consist of two parts:

  • Part A - "Guidelines for Ballast Water Management", which contains guidance on the general principles of Ballast Water Management; and

  • Part B - "Guidelines for the development of Ballast Water Management Plans", which contains guidance on the structure and content of Ballast Water Management Plans required by Regulation B-1 of the Convention.

Parent topic: Annex - Guidelines for Ballast Water Management and Development of Ballast Water Management Plans (G4)
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