Ballast Water Management

The taking in of ballast water onboard ships is imperative as it maintains safe operating conditions of ships by ensuring stability, minimizing hull stresses, and improving propulsion and manoeuvrability. Ballast water is used to compensate for any shift of the vessel’s distribution of loads due to differing cargo load levels and using up of the consumables.

Since it has been a global concern, it has paved the way for governments, economic sectors, non-governmental bodies, and other concerned international organizations to respond to the effects brought about by operations concerning ballast water movement, thus, IMO adopting the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention).