Category: Ballast Water Management / Port State Control
The IMO’s Experience-Building Phase for ballast water — a multi-year data collection programme that ran through 2025 — has concluded. What follows is stricter PSC enforcement. On top of that, two procedural changes already came into force in 2025 that every superintendent should have acted on by now.
Two changes that are already mandatory
New record book format — in force since 1 February 2025
The Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB) format was updated under IMO resolution MEPC.369(80). The old format is no longer acceptable. If vessels in your fleet are still completing records in the previous format, that is a ready-made PSC deficiency.
Electronic record books — permitted from 1 October 2025
Flag administrations can now approve electronic BWRBs under MEPC.383(81). The key word is approved — you cannot simply use a digital document without formal flag state sign-off. Check with your flag state before switching.
What PSC inspectors are focusing on
| What they check | Common deficiency found |
|---|---|
| Record book format and completeness | Old format still in use; missing entries |
| BWMS type approval certificate | Expired or not matching installed system |
| Ballast Water Management Plan | Generic plan not updated for actual system on board |
| IBWMC certificate | Expired or survey overdue |
| System operational status | System offline; bypasses not properly recorded |
| Spare parts on board | UV lamps, filters or chemicals depleted |
DNA testing is coming
PSC inspectors are beginning to use portable DNA-based analysers that can test the viability of organisms in discharged ballast water during the inspection itself — results on the spot, not days later in a lab. The IMO is working to standardise this method globally from 2026. A system that looks compliant on paper but is poorly maintained will no longer pass unnoticed.
Quick checklist before your next port call
- New BWRB format in use for all entries since February 2025
- BWMS type approval certificate on board and valid
- International Ballast Water Management Certificate current
- Ballast Water Management Plan references the actual installed system by make and model
- Crew operating the system have documented training
- UV lamps, filters and consumables sufficient for the voyage
- If using e-BWRB: flag state approval documented on board
Bottom line
Ballast water has gone from a box-ticking exercise to a genuine inspection priority. The combination of tighter record-keeping rules and new real-time testing tools means the risk of a deficiency — and the knock-on effect on your vessel’s PSC record — is higher than it was two years ago.
