Sediment checks added to ballast water inspections

Ballast water sediment management will be inspected for the first time as part of a joint concentrated inspection campaign (CIC) led by the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control.

The campaign will run from 1 September to 30 November 2025.

According to the press release issued jointly by the two MoUs, the purpose of the CIC is to assess compliance with the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004.

In a new development for 2025, port state control officers will examine how ballast water sediments are being managed in accordance with each vessel’s approved Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP).

The inclusion of sediment follows growing regulatory attention on its role in harbouring invasive species and accumulating pollutants.

DNV noted in its advisory that “sediment management is for the first time included in a CIC”, and advised ship operators to ensure relevant procedures are clearly defined and implemented on board.

Other inspection areas include the presence of a valid International Ballast Water Management Certificate, crew familiarity with BWMP procedures, system functionality, the correct use of the Ballast Water Record Book, and the application of any valid exemptions.

A predefined checklist will be used during inspections, and each ship will be subject to only one CIC inspection during the campaign period.

According to the Paris MoU, If any non-conformities are found, actions by the port state may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the Master to rectify it within a certain period of time, to detaining the ship until the serious deficiencies have been rectified.”

DNV warned particular attention will be paid to crew readiness and the operational status of ballast water treatment systems.

“The campaign requires BWMS to be fully operational, and BWMPs must be approved and up to date,” the class society stated. It also encouraged ship operators to use the CIC questionnaire in advance as a self-assessment tool.

The results of the CIC will be collated by the Paris and Tokyo MoUs and presented to their respective governing bodies, with the potential for submission to the International Maritime Organization.