Ballast Water Management Convention Motes For DNS 2nd Sem

1. BALLAST WATER
MANAGEMENT CONVENTION

2. WHY THE CONVENTION
• Since the introduction of steel-hulled vessels, water has been used as
ballast to stabilize vessels at sea. Ballast water is pumped in to maintain
safe operating conditions throughout a voyage. This practice reduces
stress on the hull, provides transverse stability, improves propulsion and
manoeuvrability, and compensates for weight changes in various cargo
load levels and due to fuel and water consumption.​
• While ballast water is essential for safe and efficient modern shipping
operations, it may pose serious ecological, economic and health problems
due to the multitude of marine species carried in ships’ ballast water.
These include bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts and
larvae of various species. The transferred species may survive to
establish a reproductive population in the host environment, becoming
invasive, out-competing native species and multiplying into pest
proportions.
• At a global scale, shipping is estimated to transfer three to five billion
tonnes of ballast water annually

3. THE FIRST SCIENTIFICALLY
RECOGNIZED OCCURRENCE OF A
NON-INDIGENOUS MARINE
SPECIES BEING TRANSPORTED IN
SHIPS WATER OCCURRED IN THE
NORTH SEA IN 1903, WITH THE
ASIAN PHYTOPLANKTON
ODONTELLA APPEARING.

4. THE CONVENTION
• After more than 14 years of complex negotiations
between IMO Member States, the International
Convention for the Control and Management of
Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM
Convention) was adopted by consensus at a Diplomatic
Conference held at IMO Headquarters in London on 13
February 2004.
• The BWM Convention entered into force on 8 September
2017.

5. REQUIREMENTS BY BWM
• An ballast water management plan - specific to each ship, the
ballast water management plan includes a detailed description of
the actions to be taken to implement the ballast water management
requirements and supplemental ballast water management
practices;
• A ballast water record book - to record when ballast water is taken
on board; circulated or treated for ballast water management
purposes; and discharged into the sea. It should also record when
ballast water is discharged to a reception facility and accidental or
other exceptional discharges of ballast water; and
• An International Ballast Water Management Certificate - (ships of
400 gt and above) – this is issued by or on behalf of the
Administration (flag State) and certifies that the ship carries out
ballast water management in accordance with the BWM Convention
and specifies which standard the ship is complying with, as well as
the date of expiry of the Certificate.

6. APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR
BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT
• The ballast water exchange standard:Ships
performing ballast water exchange shall do so with an
efficiency of 95 per cent volumetric exchange of ballast
water. ( D1 compliance)
• The ballast water performance standard: ships using
a ballast water management system (BWMS) shall meet
a performance standard based on agreed numbers of
organisms per unit of volume. ( D2 compliance)(
08.09.2024)

7. BALLAST EXCHANGE
• Methods:
• Sequential method
• Overflow method
• Prerequisites:
• While carrying out ballast exchange, distance from
nearest land should be more than 200 nm and depth 200
mtrs. The exchange shall not be carried out at dark
hours.

8. BALLAST EXCHANGE
• Sequential method
• Ballast tank is first emptied and then refilled with
replacement ballast water to achieve at least 95%
volumetric exchange
• Flow through or pumping through method
• Replacement ballast water is pumped into ballast tank
allowing water to flow through overflow or other
arrangements.( discontinued due to non approval by flag
state /owners/class)

9. BALLAST WATER RECORD BOOK
• All V/l shall record the location, date and time at which
ballast water is taken on board. The amount of ballast
taken and discharged also needs to be mentioned.
• If ballast exchange is being carried out, the entries need
to be made in the record book.
• BWR book shall be maintained onboard for a period of 2
years from last date of entry,thereafter it will be kept with
the company for a period of 3 years.

10. BALLAST WATER RECORD BOOK
• BWR book shall be kept readily available for inspection
at all reasonable times.
• Each operation concerning ballast water shall be fully
recorded without delay.
• Each entry shall be signed by officer in charge of the
operation being performed.
• Each completed page will be signed by the master.

11. APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR
BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT
Discharge limits according to IMO
D-2 standard Discharge limit
Microbial standard
Vibrio cholerae <1 CFU·100 mL−1
Escherichia coli <250 CFU·100 mL−1
Enterococci <100 CFU·100 mL−1
Size of organisms
Large organisms: >50 μm in size <10 living organisms·m−3
Small organisms: >10 and ≤50 μm
in size
<10 living organisms·mL−1

12. APPROPRIATE STANDARDS FOR
BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT
• Commercially available treatment methods
• Most systems for ballast water treatment use mechanical
filtration or separation and a subsequent physical or
chemical secondary treatment, or a combination of both
• Currently, approximately 60 BWTS’s are approved
and/or commercially available
• Most systems use UV (~48%) and electrochemical
(~28%) treatment. The rest uses processes such
as ozonation, ultrasound, the addition of biocides, or
deoxygenation (~24%)

13. SOLID BALLAST
• The primary purpose of solid ballast, typically placed in the lower
part of a ship's hull or in the base of an offshore structure, is to
lower the center of gravity and improve trim and stability. Without
solid ballast, some maritime structures would be top-heavy and
unstable, making the vessel more prone to capsizing or rolling
over in extreme weather conditions. Solid ballast also helps to
reduce the sway of a ship or offshore structure in the water,
making it safer and more comfortable for crew members and
passengers on board. Additionally, it can increase load capacity,
allowing the Maritime structures to safely carry more weight.
• Solid ballast is often preferred over liquid ballast because it does
not shift around in the hull or structure base.