IMO 2024 Guidance on Ballast Water Record-Keeping and Reporting

The International Maritime Organization issued the updated Guidance on Ballast Water Record-Keeping and Reporting in 2024 as part of its ongoing efforts to assist ships in complying with the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention). This guidance aims to clarify the record-keeping and reporting process for ballast water management, ensuring that ship operators understand how to accurately complete required documents and comply with the Convention.

The updates were approved during the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in July 2023, and further revisions were made at the 82nd session in October 2024. These revisions specifically address the recording of ballast water operations in challenging water quality conditions, in line with the interim guidance (resolution MEPC.387(81)) on applying the BWM Convention to ships operating in such conditions.

The IMO’s updated guidance includes the following key components:

1. Ballast Water Record Book: The guidance provides detailed instructions on when and how to record ballast water operations in the Ballast Water Record Book. This includes noting operations like ballasting, deballasting, and ballast water treatment. The guidance also outlines how long records should be stored and in what format.
2. Ballast Water Reporting Form: The circular