9.2 Ballast Water Management Options
9.2.1 Ballast Water Exchange
When exchanging ballast water the following practices are recommended:
- where practicable, vessels should conduct ballast exchange through deballasting and reballasting in depths of 2000 metres or greater. Near-coastal (including port and estuarine) organisms released in mid-ocean and oceanic organisms released in coastal waters do not generally survive. All of the ballast water should be discharged until suction is lost, and stripping pumps or eductors should be used if possible; [Needs consideration of whether the uptake or exchange of ballast water away from coastal and estuarine influences is as acceptable as the 2000 metres requirement.]
- where deballasting and reballasting are not possible, the flow-through method should be employed through pumping ballast water into the tank or hold and allowing it to overflow. Assuming the inlet pipe and outlet are not immediately adjacent to each other, at least three times the tank volume should be pumped through the tank;
- where neither form of open ocean exchange is possible, ballast exchange may occur in near-coastal waters at alternative sites designated by the port State;
- other ballast exchange options approved by the port State.
[List here any practices or developments not noted above, especially those where deep
ocean exchange is not possible]
9.2.2 Non-Release or Minimal Release of Ballast Water at Sea
In cases where ballast exchange or other treatment options are not possible, ballast water may be retained in tanks or holds. Should this not be possible, the ship should only discharge the minimum essential amount of ballast water.
9.2.3 Reception Facilities for Ballast Water
9.2.3.1 Where adequate reception facilities exist, discharge of ships' ballast water in port into such facilities may provide an acceptable means of control. Port State authorities utilizing this strategy should ensure that the facilities are adequate.
9.2.3.2 Reception facilities should be made available for the safe disposal of tank sediment when ships are undergoing repair or refit.
9.2.3.3 Sediment, removed from ballast tanks and other areas of accumulation should be disposed of in accordance with paragraph [ ].
9.2.4 Emergent and New Technologies and Treatments
If new and emergent treatments and technologies become available, these may substitute for current options. Such treatments could include thermal, filtration, disinfection including ultraviolet light, and other such means acceptable to the port State.
