The Merchant Shipping (Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments) Regulations 2022

Ballast water record book

10.—(1) Every ship must have on board a ballast water record book which—

(a) contains the information specified in section 5 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1908 (M+F); and

(b) may be in electronic form and may be integrated into another hardcopy or electronic record book.

(2) Each operation referred to in section 5 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1908 (M+F) must be fully recorded without delay in the ballast water record book.

(3) In the event of—

(a) a discharge of ballast water as referred to in regulation 6 (exceptions to the requirement to conduct ballast water management);

(b) a discharge of ballast water which is covered by an exemption granted under regulation 7 (exemptions from the requirement to conduct ballast water management);

(c) a discharge of ballast water in accordance with regulation 11(5) (location of ballast water exchange); or

(d) an accidental or other exceptional discharge of ballast water not permitted under these Regulations,

an entry must be made in the ballast water record book describing the circumstances of, and the reason for, the discharge.

(4) Each entry in the ballast water record book must be signed by the officer in charge of the relevant operation.

(5) Each completed page of the ballast water record book must be signed by the master of the ship.

(6) The ballast water record book must be—

(a) written in the working language of the ship’s personnel; and

(b) if the working language is not English, French or Spanish, translated into one of those languages.

(7) Where an entry has been written in the national language of the ship’s flag State as well as a language referred to in paragraph (6), in the case of any dispute or discrepancy the entry made in that national language prevails.

(8) Subject to paragraph (9), the ballast water record book must—

(a) be kept on board the ship to which it relates;

(b) be retained on board the ship to which it relates for a period of two years after the last entry has been made; and

(c) be readily available for inspection at all reasonable times.

(9) In the case of an unmanned ship under tow, the ballast water record book may be kept on the towing ship.

(10) The ballast water record book must be retained by the owner of the ship for a period of three years after the period in paragraph (8)(b) has elapsed.