What is an international ballast water management certificate?

March 7, 2023

The IMO adopted The Ballast Water Management Convention (the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004) on September 8th 2017. The regulation is meant to prevent the spread of invasive species and potentially harmful pathogens with the ability to destroy or disrupt foreign ecosystems.

According to the treaty, all ships of 400 gross tonnages and above must carry the following:

• A ballast water management plan
• A ballast water record book
• A valid international ballast water management certificate

How do you get an international ballast water management certificate, and why do you need it?

The certificate is issued by or on behalf of the flag state’s administration. The certificate declares that the ship’s ballast water management complies with the BWM Convention and specifies which standard the vessel complies with, as well as the certificate’s date of expiry. 

The certificate confirms that the ship’s ballast water management system (BWMS) meets the regulation D-2 standards of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004.

You can access the official IMO code for approval of ballast water management systems and see the certificate that must be valid here: Resolutions MEPC300(72). The code is mainly aimed at Administrations or their designated bodies to ensure compliance. However, it also serves as a reference for BWMS manufacturers and shipowners on the system evaluation procedures and system requirements.

You might like these other Blog Posts…