Convention
means the International
Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water
and Sediments; and is hereunder referred to as "Ballast Water Management
Convention";
Mediterranean Sea area
means the
Mediterranean Sea proper including the Gulfs and seas therein with
the boundary between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea constituted
by the 41° N parallel and bounded to the west by the Straits of
Gibraltar at the meridian of 005°36' W;
Black Sea area
means the Black
Sea proper with the boundary between the Mediterranean and the Black
Sea constituted by the parallel 41°;
Red Sea area
means the Red Sea
proper including the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba bounded at the south
by the rhumb line between Ras si Ane (12°28'.5 N, 043°19'.6
E) and Husn Murad (12°40'.4 N, 043°30'.2 E).
1 Ships entering the waters of Mediterranean Sea
area from the Atlantic Ocean (Straits of Gibraltar), or from the Indian
Ocean through the Red Sea (Suez Canal) or leaving the waters of the
Mediterranean Sea area to the Atlantic Ocean (Strait of Gibraltar)
or to the Indian Ocean through the Red Sea (Suez Canal), should:
-
(a) undertake ballast water exchange before entering
the Mediterranean Sea area, or after leaving the Mediterranean Sea
area, as applicable, according to the standard set out in the D-1
Standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention, and at least
200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters at least 200
meters in depthfootnote;
-
(b) in situations where this is not possible,
either due to deviating the ship from its intended voyage or delaying
the ship, or for safety reasons, such exchange should be undertaken
before entering the Mediterranean Sea area, or after leaving the Mediterranean
Sea area, as applicable, according to the standard set out in the
D-1 Standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention, as far from
the nearest land as possible, and in all cases in waters at least
50 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters of at least
200 meters depthfootnote.
2 Ships should, when engaged in traffic between:
-
i. ports located within the Mediterranean Sea
area; or
-
ii. a port located in the Black Sea area and a
port located in the Red Sea area; or
-
iii. a port located in the Black Sea and a port
located in the Mediterranean Sea area; or
-
iv. a port located in the Red Sea area and a port
located in the Mediterranean Sea area.
-
(a) undertake ballast water exchange as far from
the nearest land as possible, and in all cases in waters at least
50 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters of at least
200 meters depth. The areas, one of which being unfit for ballast
water exchange due its size, where such requirements are met in the
Mediterranean Sea area, appear in the map provided in the appendix;
-
(b) in situation where this is not possible either
due to deviating the ship from its intended voyage or delaying the
ship, or for safety reasons, exchange of ballast water should be undertaken
in areas designated by the port State for that purposefootnote;
and, if a port State decides to designate a ballast water exchange
areas,
3 Sediments collected during the cleaning or repairing
operations of ballast tanks should be delivered in sediment reception
facilities in ports and terminals, according to Article 5 of the Ballast
Water Management Convention, or be discharged beyond 200 nautical
miles from the nearest land of the coastline when the ship is sailing
in the Mediterranean Sea area.
4 Exemptions can be granted to a ship on a voyage
between specified ports or locations within the Mediterranean Sea
area, or to a ship operating exclusively between specified ports or
locations within the Mediterranean Sea area. These exemptions are
to be granted according to Regulation A-4
1 of the Ballast Water Management Convention and based on the Guidelines for risk assessment under regulation A-4 of the BWM Convention developed by the International Maritime Organizationfootnote.
5 As per Regulation
B-4 of the Ballast Water Management Convention, if the safety
or stability of the ship is threatened by a ballast water exchange
operation, this operation should not be undertaken. The reasons should
be entered in the ballast water record book and a Report should be
submitted to the maritime authorities of the Port of destination.
6 Each vessel calling at a port within the Mediterranean
Sea area is required to have on board a Ballast Water Management Plan
complying with requirements of the Guidelines for Ballast Water
Management and Development of Ballast water Management Plans developed
by the International Maritime Organizationfootnote and to keep a record of all ballast water
operations carried out.