11.5 Any instructions or requirements of a ship on entering a port State shall be clear and concise.
11.6 Port States should on request provide a visiting ship with any information required under Annex VI and these guidelines.
11.7 Any enforcement or monitoring activities should be undertaken in a fair and uniform and nationally consistent manner at all ports within the port State. Where there are compelling reasons whereby nationally consistent procedures cannot be followed then deviations should be reported to the Organization.
11.8 Compliance monitoring may be undertaken by port State authorities, by taking and analysing ballast water and sediment samples from ships utilizing prescribed exchange procedures, to test for the continued survival of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens.
11.9 Where ballast water or sediment sampling for compliance or effectiveness monitoring is being undertaken, port State authorities should minimize delays to ships when taking such samples.
11.10 When sampling for research or compliance monitoring, the port State authority should give as much notice to the Master as possible that sampling will occur, to assist the Master in planning staffing and operational resources to assist.
11.11 The Master has a general obligation to provide reasonable assistance for the above monitoring which may include, provision of officers or crew, provision of the ship's plans, information pertaining to ballast arrangements.
11.12 Sampling for enforcement purposes and the subsequent analysis should be undertaken according to the protocol specified below.
(Note: To be developed and incorporated).
11.14 Sampling methods for research and monitoring is the responsibility of the individual port State. Port States should be aware that the Organization welcomes information on new or innovative methods of sampling and/or analysis.
11.15 Port Stale authorities shall indicate to the Master or responsible officer the purpose for which the sample is taken (i.e. monitoring, research or enforcement). Results of samples' analyses shall be made available to ships' operators on request.
11.16 Port Stale authorities may sample or require samples to analyse ballast water and sediment, before permitting a ship to proceed to discharge its ballast water in environmentally sensitive locations. In the event that harmful aquatic organisms or pathogens are found to be present in the samples, ships may be prohibited from discharging ballast or sediment, except to ballast water reception facilities or in designated marine areas.
12 Future Considerations - Research Needs
13 Classification Society Considerations
