Sample of Ballast Water Management Plan

The Content of a ballast water management plan-

1. Introduction: It should contain information about the relevant conventions.

2. Ship Particulars: Particulars like length, beam, IMO number, ship’s name, flag, registry, gross tonnage, draft, total ballast capacity, and the international call sign.

3. Purpose: It should explain the need for ballast water management and the importance of correct record keeping.

4. Plans & drawings of the ballast system: It should consist of ballast tanks arrangement, ballast capacity plan, ballast water piping, and pumping arrangement, ballast pump capacities, installed ballast treatment systems, etc.

5. Description of the ballast system: Description of the ballasting and de-ballasting system used onboard.

6. Ballast water sampling points: It should have the list and the location of the sampling points.

7. Safety restrictions: It should tell about the dangers of enclosed space entries, the danger of blocked air vents, and other safety instructions.

8. Description of the methods used on board: It should explain in detail the method of ballast water exchange and treatments (in an emergency) used onboard.

9. Methods of communication: It should contain guidelines to communicate with coastal authorities like AQIS in Australia.

10. Duties of ballast water management officer: It must explain the duties and responsibilities of the ballast water management officer.

11. Recording requirements: It will explain what all is to be recorded in the logbook.

12. Crew training and familiarization: As this is a new requirement, the crews have to be familiarized about the same by conducting meetings and video screening.

Record keeping in ballast water management plan

Records of the ballast water exchange are to be entered in the ballast water record book by the responsible officer (mostly Chief officer). The records should contain at the minimum the following information:

1. Date;

2. The geographical location of the ship;

3. Ship’s tank or Cargo holds used;

4. Ballast water temperature;

5. The salinity of ballast water;

6. Amount of Ballast water loaded or discharged; and

7. The location and suitable access points for taking ballast water samples by Port Authorities should be identified in the ballast water management plan. The sampling points should be marked clearly for identification.