The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), has issued Shipping Industry Advice Notice No. 03 /2008, describing new documents relating to Australia s mandatory ballast water management requirements. New documents include; Australia s Ballast Water Management Requirements, Version 4 - This updated version includes special advice for masters of car carrier vessels recognising their particular concerns over stability during ballast water exchanges and references to a new version of the AQIS Form - 026. This form, previously known as the AQIS Ballast Water Log has been renamed AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary. AQIS Form 026 - As described above. New Example Sheet - Explaining the use of AQIS Form - 026. Mariners Guide to Ballast Water Regulation in Australia - A new document explaining what mariners need to report to AQIS about ballast water management pre-arrival; what documents they can expect to receive from AQIS in response and; what to expect from AQIS in regard to the verification of ballast water management during the routine vessel inspection post arrival at a first Australian port of call.
Shipping Agents/Operators: NEW BALLAST WATER DOCUMENTS POSTED ON INTERNET ADVICE TO AGENTS SEAPORTS 03-08 From 1 July 2008, new documents pertaining to Australia s mandatory ballast water management requirements will be available for download from the AQIS website (www.aqis.gov.au/shipping). The new document titles and brief descriptions of their purpose follow: 1. Australia s Ballast Water Management Requirements: This document has been updated. The new version is Version 4 of March 31 2008. The version that has been superseded is Version 3 of June 2007. Changes incorporated in the new version are as follows: Some special advice for masters of Car Carrier vessels that recognises their particular concerns over stability during ballast water exchanges References to a new version of AQIS Form-026. This form was previously known as the AQIS Ballast Water Log. Its name has been changed to the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary. The style of the form remains unchanged but the new version has more space for mariners to record tank-by-tank ballast water management. The new space has been made available by producing an example sheet for reference by mariners to demonstrate the required format for completing the form proper. An error in the Pump Test template form included in the previous version has been corrected 2. AQIS Form-026 has been re-named AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary : As described above 3. New Example Sheet that explains the use of AQIS Form-026: As described above 4. A new document entitled Mariners Guide to Ballast Water Regulation in Australia : The new document explains what mariners need to report to AQIS about ballast water management prearrival; what documents they can expect to receive from AQIS in response and; what to expect from AQIS in regard to the verification of ballast water management during the routine vessel inspection post arrival at a first Australian port of call. Your assistance in drawing the attention of mariners on board your client vessels to these new documents / versions would be greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact your AQIS Regional Office should you require any additional information. David Franks National Manager Seaports Program 1 July 2008 18 Marcus Clarke St Canberra City ACT GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 ph +61 2 6272 3933 www.aqis.gov.au ABN 24 113 085 695 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY
Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements Version 4 March 2008 Version Date: 31 March 2008 18 Marcus Clarke St Canberra ACT GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 ph +61 2 6272 3933 www.aqis.gov.au ABN 24 113 085 695 D E P A R T M E N T O F A G R I C U L T U R E, F I S H E R I E S A N D F O R E S T R Y
Contents Introduction 3 Background 3 Mandatory ballast water management requirements: 3 Australian Federal Government Requirements: 4 Australian State Government Requirements: 4 Ballast water management options 5 1. Non-discharge of high-risk ballast water in Australian ports or waters 5 2. Tank-to-tank transfer 5 3. Full ballast water exchange at sea 5 Practical Considerations: 7 Ballast Pump Test 9 Safety Considerations 10 Alternative Ballast Water Management Methods 10 Ballast Water Reporting 10 Verification Inspections 11 Tank stripping 11 Ballast Water Exchange Calculations 11 Sequential Exchange (Empty / Refill) Operations: 11 Sequential Exchange Calculation Example 1: 11 Sequential Exchange Calculation Example 2: 12 Flow-Through and Dilution Operations: 12 Flow Through / Dilution Calculations: 13 Further Advice & Information 14 Page 2 of 14
Introduction On 1 July 2001, Australia introduced mandatory ballast water management requirements (the requirements) to reduce the risk of introducing harmful aquatic organisms into Australia s marine environment through ships ballast water. The requirements have legislative backing and will be enforced under the Quarantine Act 1908. Background The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is the lead agency of the Australian government for the regulation of ballast water taken up outside Australia s territorial sea. Part of the AQIS charter is to ensure that foreign ballast water intended for discharge inside Australia s territorial sea (the area within 12 nautical miles of the Australian coastal baseline) has been managed in accordance with the requirements. Any ballast water that has been exchanged at sea by an approved method is deemed to be acceptable for discharge in Australian ports / waters. Ballast water reporting and management verification form an integral part of the requirements. The requirements are consistent with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Ballast Water Convention that aims to minimise the translocation of harmful aquatic species in ships ballast water and ballast tank sediments. There are some practical refinements in the Australian requirements that are not identified in the IMO guidelines. Mariners are requested to take notice of these refinements they are printed in red below under Practical Considerations. The safety of vessels and crews is of paramount importance. Mariners undertaking ballast water management to comply with Australian requirements must pay primary attention to the safety of their ships and crews. This applies particularly for vessels using the Sequential Exchange (Empty / Refill) method. Vessel stability, stresses and sloshing at every stage of a planned operation (including the half full tank situation) must be pre-calculated before execution of the planned operation. Mandatory ballast water management requirements: All internationally plying vessels intending to discharge ballast water anywhere inside the Australian territorial sea are required to manage their ballast water in accordance with Australia s mandatory ballast water management requirements. The discharge of high-risk ballast water in Australian ports or waters is prohibited Page 3 of 14
High Risk Ballast Water Australian Federal Government Requirements: AQIS deems all salt water from ports and coastal waters outside Australia s territorial sea to present a high-risk of introducing exotic marine pests into Australia. The discharge of high-risk ballast water from ships is prohibited anywhere inside Australia s territorial sea. Ballast water of the following types is deemed by AQIS to be low-risk : Fresh Water from any source - Relative Density 1.002 or less at 15 o C and 1000 hpa atmospheric pressure Ballast Water that has been exchanged at an approved location (mid-ocean) by an approved method Ballast Water of which at least 95% was taken up in mid-ocean Ballast Water of which at least 95% was taken up inside Australia s territorial sea. Australian State Government Requirements: AQIS is a Federal Government agency and is responsible for the management of internationally sourced ballast water within Australia s territorial sea. AQIS does not regulate the management of ballast water taken up within Australia s territorial sea and domestic ports. Victoria, one of seven, maritime Australian states / territories, has additional requirements for the management of Australian sourced domestic ballast water which are enforced by the Environment Protection Authority (Victorian State Government) under the Environment Protection Act 1970. Victoria s requirements regulate the management of ballast water taken up within Australia s territorial sea (12 nautical miles off the Australian coast) and within domestic ports. EPA Victoria requires all ships intending to visit a Victorian port to submit a ballast water report form and log detailing the origin of all ballast water on board. No domestic ballast water discharge is permitted in Victorian waters unless approval has been granted from EPA in writing. If domestic ballast water is intended to be discharged within Victorian waters (12nm off the coast) and ports, it must be managed in accordance with the Victorian requirements which can be viewed and downloaded from the Victorian Environment Protection Authority s (EPA) website: www.epa.vic.gov.au/ballast water. EPA Victoria maintains a 24 hour helpline for ballast water enquiries: +61 3 9695 2547. AQIS continues to be responsible for the regulation of foreign sourced ballast water in Victorian ports. For every vessel visiting Australia, it is the master s responsibility to ascertain if any State / Territory Government ballast water management requirements (over and above the AQIS requirements) need to be met for calls at any and every Australian port on their vessel s itinerary. Page 4 of 14
Ballast water management options It is strongly recommended that vessels should have a Ballast Water Management Plan and this plan should be endorsed by the vessel s Classification Society. The Ballast Water Management Plan should provide detailed instructions for ships personnel on how to manage ballast water on board safely with due regard to weather, vessel stresses, stability and sloshing. All on-board ballast water management should be undertaken in accordance with that plan. Mariners may elect to use any of the following ballast water management options which have all been approved by AQI 1. Non-discharge of high-risk ballast water in Australian ports or waters Vessels that do not need to discharge any ballast water in Australian waters do not need to carry out any management of foreign ballast water under the law. Nevertheless, the carriage of high-risk ballast water into the territorial sea is strongly discouraged. Mariners are cautioned that permission to discharge high-risk ballast will not usually be given. It is therefore considered prudent to manage all ballast water on board a vessel as if it may need to be discharged in Australian waters. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, whereby it becomes necessary to discharge some ballast water, permission to do so may be sought and granted without undue delay provided the ballast water in question has been properly managed prior to arrival in Australian waters. Vessels that repeatedly fail to manage all ballast water prior to entering the territorial sea may be required, at their own expense, to employ independent marine surveyors on arrival and departure from each Australian port of call to formally certify that no high-risk ballast water has been discharged during the vessel s visit to Australia. 2. Tank-to-tank transfer As previously stated, the carriage of high risk ballast water into the territorial sea is strongly discouraged but the practise is legal. It is also permissible to move high-risk ballast water around from tank-to-tank within a ship inside the territorial sea. Masters of vessels that use this procedure must be vigilant to ensure that the risk of unauthorised ballast discharge, during ballast transfer operations, is assessed and managed appropriately. Severe penalties apply for the unauthorised discharge of ballast water in Australia. Car Carriers: Australia recognises that purpose built car carriers and other specialist vessels may have difficulty in conducting exchanges of all ballast water on board due to stability / stress considerations. In recognition that car carriers in the Australian trades would not usually need to discharge ballast water in Australian ports / waters, AQIS recommends that this type of vessel should exchange ballast water in the following types of tank: Tanks that need to be discharged inside Australia s territorial sea Tanks that may need to be transferred within the vessel to compensate for changes to trim or list caused by cargo operations. Both source and target tanks intended to be used for transfers should contain only low risk ballast water so that in the event of accidental overflows, only low-risk ballast water will escape into the Australian marine environment. Page 5 of 14
3. Full ballast water exchange at sea - Sequential exchange (empty/refill) method - Flow through method - Dilution method. Each of these methods has been tested and has demonstrated results of achieving the necessary 95% (or better) volumetric exchange of high-risk ballast water. Ballast exchanges must be conducted outside the Australian territorial sea. It is also recommended that ballast exchanges be conducted as far away as possible from any land mass and in water at least 200m deep. Sequential Exchange (empty / refill): This method involves emptying tanks (one or two or a few at a time) of high-risk ballast water at sea before refilling them with clean water from the deep ocean. It is important to ensure that the ballast mix achieved by this method contains no more than 5% of high-risk ballast water. Not all ships are able to empty ballast tanks at sea due to considerations of stability, stress and sloshing 1. Masters should verify that their ships design parameters for stress, stability and sloshing will not be compromised at any stage of a planned sequential exchange operation. The reduction in positive stability caused by free surface effect in slack tanks during sequential exchanges must be taken into account by mariners using this method. Flow-Through Method: At least 300% of a tank s maximum capacity 2 of clean water from the deep ocean must be pumped into each tank to achieve an acceptable 95% volumetric exchange. Even when, at the start of a flow through operation, a tank is only partially filled with high-risk ballast water, at least 300% of the tank s maximum capacity must still be pumped into the tank to comply with Australian requirements. The 300% capacity is measured from when water begins to flow into a tank. In the case of a tank that is not completely full at the commencement of a flow through operation, 300% of the tank s full capacity still starts to be measured from when pumping starts not from when the tank starts to overflow. Dilution Method: Some vessels (mainly tankers) are fitted with extra piping / pumping arrangements. On some of these vessels, ballast may be pumped in through one side of a tank and out through the other side simultaneously (pumping in / pumping out - as opposed to pumping in / simply overflowing out). This type of flushing - using two pumps - is acceptable. As for flow-through, at least 300% of each tank s maximum capacity must be flushed through for an acceptable exchange. 1 Sloshing the official term for the movement of water in a slack tank. Such movement can be so violent as to cause damage to structural steelwork inside a ship s tank. 2 Maximum Capacity the volume contained by a tank when it is completely full. The IMO Convention refers to tank volume and states that three times a tank s volume must be flushed through. This has led to ambiguity and some ships have only pumped in three times the contents of a tank which is not acceptable. Page 6 of 14
AQIS will seek to verify that ballast exchanges have been properly carried out in accordance with the law. The verification process involves an examination of real-time records about ballast exchange operations that must be kept by the ship. Practical Considerations: NB: Some of the requirements below are over and above the stipulations of the IMO Convention Masters should pay attention to the following when conducting Sequential Exchange Operations: Soundings of tanks (and corresponding residual volumes) must be recorded at the end of the emptying phase so that the make up of the ballast mixture to be discharged in Australian waters may be verified by AQIS on arrival at an Australian port. The acceptable criterion for ballast water discharge is at least 95% managed water to a maximum of 5% unmanaged water in any mixture to be discharged. Masters should pay attention to the following when conducting Flow- Through ballast exchanges: Tanks may be flushed one at a time or in similar pairs. For example: Double Bottom Tanks 1 Port and Starboard may be pumped simultaneously using a single pressure source. It is not acceptable to flush dissimilar pairs of tanks (e.g. DBT1 P and DBT 2S) together (see examples below). The reason for this is that dissimilar tanks being flushed together using a single pressure source receive unequal quantities of water from the pump. It is no simple matter to determine how much each different tank receives under these circumstances. Flushing dissimilar tanks together does not comply with Australian requirements Mariners please note that the use of two or more pumps simultaneously into common lines still constitutes a single pressure source! Estimating the quantity of water flushed through each tank involves estimating the delivery rate of ballast pumps and timing the hours of running of those pumps. It should be noted that pumps do not deliver their rated capacity. The actual delivery rate of a ship s ballast pump depends on the following factors: Wear and tear on pumps / pipes etc. Depth underwater of sea inlet (ship s draught) Horizontal and vertical distance of each tank from the pump (friction / gravity) Vessel trim (trim by stern = pump uphill = gravity to overcome) Variations in ballast main diameter To ensure that sufficient water has been flushed through a tank to satisfy Australian requirements, mariners should test and record their ballast pumps delivery rates as follows: The Fore Peak Tank (FPT) is the most distant tank from the ballast pumps on most ships. Most FPTs have a portion above the waterline. Most ballast mains (pipes) incorporate a series of reductions in diameter and changes in direction between the pump and the FPT. Page 7 of 14
The combination of all of these factors leads to a given pump on a given ship delivering less water per hour to the FPT than it would to any other tank on that ship. It is therefore recommended that mariners test their ballast pumps by filling the forepeak from empty (as proved by a manual sounding) until it overflows and timing the operation. If more than one ballast pump is fitted, each pump should be tested by itself. If two pumps are intended to be used together in flow through operations, a separate test using both pumps together should be conducted the quantity delivered by two pumps operating together into a common line would usually be less than the sum of each pump s individual delivery rate. Since it would be unusual to use two pumps to fill up a FPT, the test of combined tanks would be acceptable if it were carried out on two other forward tanks ideally above the waterline eg TSTs 1P and S. A format for documenting pump tests is attached overleaf. Mariners are advised that if no acceptable pump testing has been documented, AQIS may deem a pump s delivery rate to be the original rated capacity minus 1% for every year of a ship s age. Page 8 of 14
Ballast Pump Test Vessel: Lloyds Number: Port of Registry: Date Launched: ID of Ballast Pump(s) tested: Original Rated Capacity of Pump(s) tested: Details of Tank(s) used in test: (Fore Peak Tank preferred for single pump tests, forward upper wing tanks preferred for testing combined pumps) a) Maximum Tank Capacity (m3): b) Initial contents (m3): c) Time start pumping: d) Time tank overflowed: e) Hours Pumping (d c): f) Volume pumped (a b): g) Pump s delivery rate: (f e) per Hour Master s Signature: Chief Officer s Signature: Ship s Stamp: Pumps should be tested at least every twelve months Page 9 of 14
Safety Considerations Where full ballast water exchange has not been undertaken due to safety reasons (weather, sea conditions or operational impracticability), the Master should report this to AQIS as soon as possible and certainly prior to entering Australia s territorial sea. Under no circumstances should this information be sent to AQIS any later than transmission of the Quarantine Pre-Arrival Report (QPAR). The QPAR must be forwarded to AQIS between 12 and 96 hours prior to arrival from an overseas place at an Australian port. The QPAR is usually sent to AQIS via ships local Australian agents. Alternative Ballast Water Management Methods Vessels wishing to use alternative methods for ballast water management that are not specified above should apply in writing to AQIS before the event. Vessels that cannot comply with the requirements due to design considerations should contact AQIS in writing before arrival in the territorial sea to seek an exemption. Vessels arriving in Australian ports without having managed their ballast water by an approved method (see above) and without an exemption having been granted by AQIS are likely to be refused permission to discharge their ballast water in Australian ports or waters. Ballast Water Reporting All vessels arriving in Australia from international waters are required to submit a Quarantine Pre- Arrival Report (QPAR) to AQIS. The QPAR requires details about the vessel including: Vessel particulars Human health Pet animals / birds on board Recent visits by the vessel to places where organisms of concern to Quarantine are known to exist. The QPAR also requires masters to declare whether or not they have complied with Australia s mandatory ballast water management requirements. Masters are required to send the QPAR to AQIS between 12 and 96 hours prior to arrival in Australia. Amended reports should be submitted to AQIS in the event of changes in health status or other issues of interest to AQIS as reported on the original QPAR. These reports are usually sent via ships local agents. The prescribed timing allows for efficient processing of the QPAR to assist in avoiding any disruption to a vessel s schedule. Masters / agents that do not submit the QPAR to AQIS will not be given formal quarantine clearance to enter port. This will cause delays to the vessel and additional AQIS charges to the vessel will be incurred. No ballast water may be discharged from internationally trading vessels in Australian waters without express written permission from AQIS. Such permission may be given following lodgement of the QPAR with AQIS provided acceptable ballast water management is reported on the QPAR. If details / intentions about discharge of foreign sourced ballast water (as originally submitted to AQIS) change for any reason, a revised QPAR must be sent to AQIS prior to discharging any ballast water that has not already been specifically authorised. Masters must also complete the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary (AQIS form 26) with details about ballast water uptake ports, ocean exchanges and intended Australian discharge locations. Page 10 of 14
The AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary (AQIS form 26) is intended to summarise the realtime records of ballast water management conducted at sea. This form needs not be sent to AQIS pre-arrival under normal circumstances AQIS Officers will examine it during their physical attendance on board each vessel. Completed originals of these forms complete with any comments by AQIS on the back - must be retained on the vessel for a period of two years and produced to AQIS on request. Verification Inspections AQIS Officers will conduct ballast water verification inspections on-board vessels to ensure compliance with Australia s ballast water management requirements. AQIS Officers will use the QPAR, AQIS ballast-water management summary and the vessel s own deck, engineering and ballast water management logs to verify that the information supplied to AQIS is correct. The verification inspection will take around 30 minutes to complete and in most cases will be conducted at the same time as a routine vessel inspection. Tank stripping Sediments from ballast tanks must not be discharged in Australian waters. Ballast tank stripping using pumps that are permanent fixtures on a vessel is acceptable. The use of portable pumps to strip out ballast tanks is not permitted. If ballast tank sediments are manually removed from tanks, the sedimentary material must not be dumped in Australian ports / waters. Sedimentary material from ballast tanks may be landed as Quarantine Waste in some Australian ports or it can be dumped back into the sea in deep water (at least 200m deep) outside the 12nm limit but preferably beyond 200nm from land. Ballast Water Exchange Calculations Acceptable ballast water exchanges must achieve at least a 95% dilution of high-risk ballast water with clean seawater from the deep ocean. Sequential Exchange (Empty / Refill) Operations: At least 95% of the water in a given tank must have been drawn from the deep ocean on arrival in Australia. Residual high-risk ballast that remains in a tank at the end of the Emptying phase of an exchange operation must be less than 5% of the total volume contained in the tank on arrival in Australian waters. Masters must record a sounding and corresponding volume of residual water at the end of the emptying phase of sequential exchange operations. Masters must also record times, dates, locations and methods used (gravity / pumps / combination of gravity and pumps) to empty and refill all tanks managed by this method. Sequential Exchange Calculation Example 1: A vessel has a Fore Peak ballast tank with full capacity 2000m 3. The vessel s Master wishes to arrive in an Australian port with the Fore Peak only half full (1000m 3 ). Regardless of how much high-risk water is in the tank before the exchange, the water in the tank must be exchanged so that after refilling, not more than 5% of the resulting mixture in the tank is high-risk water. After pumping out (when suction on the pump is lost), a sounding of the tank is taken and this shows that only 5 m 3 remains. Page 11 of 14
In this situation, provided at least 95 m 3 of deep ocean water is added to the FPT, the resultant mixture will be acceptable for discharge in Australian waters. The Master may fill the tank only to his desired volume of 1000 m 3 and the ballast water in the tank requires no further management. Sequential Exchange Calculation Example 2: A vessel has a centre line, double bottom tank beneath No.1 Cargo Hold (DB1C) with full capacity 6000 m 3. The vessel s Master wishes to arrive in an Australian port with DB1C only filled to one third of its capacity (2000 m 3 ). After pumping out (when suction on the pump is lost), a sounding of the tank is taken and this shows that 250 m 3 remains in the tank. To achieve a 95% volumetric exchange in this tank, the Master has two options: i) Fill the tank up to 5000 m 3 and then pump out water until his desired level of 2000 m 3 is reached. ii) Strip the tank until only 100 m 3 remains before refilling the tank to 2000 m 3 Flow-Through and Dilution Operations: 300% of the full capacity of every tank exchanged by either of these methods must be pumped into the relevant tank - using clean seawater from the deep ocean. Critical to the efficiency of this method are the following: Only one similar pair of tanks at a time may be flushed through simultaneously Pumping hours to achieve the required 300% exchange should be calculated using the measured pumping rate of ballast pumps (as per the pump test described above) rather than the rated pumping capacity of the new pumps as stated in manufacturers specifications. A pump s / piping system s efficiency usually decreases with age. If a tank initially contains more than 5% of its full capacity of high-risk ballast water, 300% of the tanks full capacity must be pumped in to achieve the required 95% volumetric exchange. Mariners are advised that 300% flushing is the bare minimum pumping requirement for ships using the flow through or dilution methods it is prudent to exceed the bare minimum requirement to be sure of achieving compliance with the requirements. Page 12 of 14
Flow Through / Dilution Calculations: A cape sized vessel (100,000 DWT) with nine cargo holds, has the following dedicated ballast tanks: Tank / Hold Capacity Contents Fore Peak 2000 m 3 1000 m 3 WBT 1P 3000 m 3 Full WBT 1S 3000 m 3 Full WBT 2P 4200 m 3 Full WBT 2S 4200 m 3 Full WBT 3P 3000 m 3 1200 m 3 WBT 3S 3000 m 3 Full WBT 4P 4200 m 3 Full WBT 4S 4200 m 3 Full After Peak 1200 m 3 800 m 3 The ten-year-old vessel is fitted with two main ballast pumps each with a rated capacity of 2500 m 3 /hr when the vessel was new. From pump tests, the Chief Officer is aware that each of these pumps now delivers about 2000 m 3 /hr when used by itself or a total of 3700 m 3 /hr when the pumps are used together. Example 1: Fore peak tank (capacity 2000 m 3 ) initially contains 1000 m 3 of high-risk ballast water. Master wishes to exchange the tank s contents in mid-ocean using the flow through method. 300% of the tank s full capacity (i.e. 3 x 2000 m 3 ) = 6000 m 3. Using only one pump, the Master must pump clean seawater into the tank for 3 hours. Using two pumps together, the required pumping time would be 6000 3700 = 1.62hrs (1h 37mins) 1 Pump delivers 2000 m 3 /hr = 6000 m 3 in 3 hrs = 300% of tank s FULL capacity. 2 Pumps deliver 3700 m 3 /hr = 6000 m 3 in 1.62 hrs = 300% of tank s FULL capacity. Example 2: Master wishes to use flow through method on WBT 1P, WBT 1S, WBT 2P and WBT 2S. a) Acceptable: Using both ballast pumps together the master simultaneously flushes WBT 1P and 1S simultaneously for at least 4.86 hours (combined capacity of 1P&S = 6000 m 3, 4.86 hours pumping @ 3700 m 3 /hr = 18000 m 3 = 300% of each tank s full capacity). After the ballast exchange in WBT 1P and S, those tanks are closed off and a new exchange begins on WBT 2P and S simultaneously. No.2s, with combined capacity of 8,400 m3 require a further 6.81 hrs flushing with both pumps simultaneously b) Unacceptable: Master uses both pumps to flush WBT 1P&S and WBT 2P&S (combined capacity = 14,400) simultaneously for 11.68 hrs: The pumps deliver the same quantity of water in total but it is impossible to say how much water each tank received if this procedure is used. It is clear though that No.1s, being further from the pumps, will receive less than No.2s. Page 13 of 14
Further Advice & Information Further information can be obtained by contacting AQIS. Log on to our web site Home page address: AQIS Seaports Program address: www.aqis.gov.au/shipping seaports@aqis.gov.au Contact us by phone or fax Calling within Australia Phone: (02) 6272 4363 Mobile: 0409 604543 Fax: (02) 6272 3276 Overseas enquires: Phone: +61 2 6272 4363 Mobile: +61 409 604543 Fax: +61 2 6272 3276 Disclaimer By accessing the information presented through this medium, each user waives and releases the Commonwealth of Australia to the full extent permitted by law from any and all claims relating to the usage of material or information made available through the system. In no event shall the Commonwealth of Australia be liable for any incidental or consequential damages resulting from use of the material. In particular and without limit to the generality of the above, information provided in publications of the Commonwealth Government is considered to be true and correct at the time of publication. Changes in circumstances after time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information and the Commonwealth Government gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information or advice contained. Page 14 of 14
PLEASE PHOTOCOPY AS REQUIRED AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Ship's Name: Year Built: Call Sign: IMO/Lloyds No.: Sheet of Date: Record ocean depth at which exchanges occurred (metres):min: Max: Master s Signature: (A) Ballast Water Tanks or Cargo Holds (B) Ballast Water Source (C) Exchange Identify the pumps used for ballasting and their estimated current delivery capacity per hour (m 3 /hr): Pump 1: Pump2: Pump3: (D) Intended Australian Discharge Port for Ballast Water Tank Full Capacity (m 3 ) BW uptake Port Name Or Location (Lat / Long) Uptake Date Volume of ballast water taken up (m 3 ) Exchange Location (Latitude/Longitude) Start (S) End (E) Start (S) End (E) Exchange Date & Time List Pumps Used (Pump Number) Empty/Refill ONLY Residual volume when empty (m 3 ) Flow-through or Dilution ONLY Volume pumped (m 3 ) Percentage Exchanged BW Discharge Port Discharge Date Volume for discharge (m 3 ) BALLAST WATER TANK CODE Forepeak = FPT Aft peak = APT Double bottom = DB Bottom tank = BT Bottom side tank = BST Deep tank = DT Wing tank = WT Top side tank = TST Cargo hold = CH Heeling tank = HT Water ballast tank = WBT Port = P Starboard = S Centre = C Bilge = BGT Other = O (specify) Form 026 - Date of Effect 31 March 2008
AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Example Sheet Commonwealth of Australia Quarantine Act 1908 Section 27A Ship's Name: BULK 1 Year Built: 2005 Call Sign: ABCD IMO/Lloyds No.: 123456 Sheet 1 of 2 Date:27.09.2007 NOTE 1) All Ballast Tanks must be recorded including empty tanks 2) Instructions for Exchange: EMPTY / REFILL: At least 95% high risk water must be discharged before refilling record residual volume after pump out in column C FLOW THROUGH: A minimum of 300% of each tank s FULL capacity must be pumped into each tank. Do not flush dissimilar tanks at the same time. Flushing similar tank pairs together (eg DB2P&S) is acceptable. Please fill in either the Empty/Refill column or the Flow-Through column depending on which method you used for each tank (only one method per tank is acceptable). Nil Ballast Water on Arrival in Australian Waters: Record residual volumes remaining in tanks in Column C Record ocean depth at which exchanges occurred (metres):min Max: Master s Signature: (A) Ballast Water Tanks or Cargo Holds Tank Flow Thru Example FPT E/R Example DB1P Empty Tank Example DB 2P Full Capacity (mp3p) BW uptake Port Name Or Location (Lat / Long) (B) Ballast Water Source Uptake Date Volume of ballast water taken up (mp3p) (C) Exchange 3 Identify the pumps used for ballasting and their estimated current delivery capacity per hour (mp P/hr): Pump 1: Pump2: Pump3: Exchange Location (Latitude/Longitude) Start (S) End (E) 1342 Osaka 21/2/03 1342 08 18 N 137 24 E 03 15 N 140 36 E 2870 Yokohama 22/7/07 2870 06 21 S 106 18 E 07 05 S 107 22 E 4270 Durban 20/08/07 4270 Exchange Date & Time Start (S) End (E) 28/02/03 1600 28/02/03 2030 01/08/07 0700 01/08/07 1300 List Pumps Used (Pump Number) 1 & 2 3 @450mP P/hr 1 & 2 3 @450mP P/hr Empty/Refill ONLY Residual volume when empty (mp3p) Flow-through or Dilution ONLY Volume pumped (mp3p) Percentage Exchanged (D) Intended Australian Discharge Port for Ballast Water BW Discharge Port Discharge Date N/A 4050 302% Brisbane 05/03/03 1342 8.7 N/A N/A Dampier 08/08/07 2870 10.3 Mombasa 01/09/07 NIL BALLAST WATER TANK CODE Forepeak = FPT Aft peak = APT Double bottom = DB Bottom tank = BT Bottom side tank = BST Deep tank = DT Wing tank = WT Top side tank = TST Cargo hold = CH Heeling tank = HT Water ballast tank = WBT Port = P Starboard = S Centre = C Bilge = BGT Other = O (specify) Form 026 - Date of Effect: 31 March 2008 Volume for discharge (mp3p)
Mariners Guide to Ballast Water Regulation in Australia Australia has had mandatory ballast water management requirements (the requirements) since 2001. The requirements are intended to reduce the threat of introducing non-indigenous species to Australia s marine environment through ballast water imported from overseas. The success of the requirements relies heavily on mariners good will and their diligence in conducting ballast water management to the required standard. The Australian requirements have the same intention as those of the IMO Convention dealing with the management of ballast water and tank sediments but the Australian requirements are more specific than those in the convention in some areas for the sake of clarity. If any mariner is in doubt about any aspect of Australia s mandatory ballast water management requirements, advice may be sought from the National Ballast Water Adviser telephone: +61 409 604543; +61 2 6272 3276 (fax); e-mail: ballastwater@aqis.gov.au The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is the lead agency of the Australian government for the regulation of ballast water. Details of the Australian requirements, and all prescribed forms for reporting ballast water management to AQIS may be found on the AQIS website: www.aqis.gov.au/shipping What follows is an explanation of how mariners must report their ballast water management to AQIS every time a vessel returns to Australia from an overseas place. 1) The Quarantine Pre-Arrival Report (AQIS Form 6): All vessels bound for Australia from any overseas place must report to AQIS about a range of issues of concern to Quarantine between 12 and 96 hours prior to arrival at their first Australian port of call. The required reporting must be done on the Quarantine Pre-Arrival Report (QPAR) form.
A QPAR must be completed by the Master of each vessel. The completed form is usually transmitted to the vessel s Australian agent who then submits the form to AQIS usually by fax. If the vessel is equipped with fax, the original form should be signed by the Master. If the form is sent by e-mail or other means, the agent is authorised to sign on the Master s behalf. Regardless of who signs the form be it Master or agent the information supplied on the QPAR is considered to be a sworn statement by the Master of the true situation about which the report is being made. It is an offence to provide a false or misleading statement to AQIS. The only question on the QPAR that relates to ballast water is: 29. Have you complied with Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements? In response to the QPAR, AQIS sends back a document known as Approval to Berth. On the Approval to Berth form, a number of conditions will be expressed in relation to what has been reported about the vessel by its Master. For ballast water, one standard response and one of two alternative responses will be included on the Approval to Berth form: BALLAST 1: Ballast Water may be discharged in a port in Australia, the Cocos Islands or Christmas Island, or Australian waters if an AQIS approved management option has been undertaken. BALLAST 2: No ballast water may be discharged in a port in Australia, the Cocos Islands or Christmas Island, or Australian waters without written permission from AQIS. BALLAST 3: The AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary (Form AQIS026) and your vessel s real time records of Ballast Water Management must be ready and available for inspection by a Quarantine Officer on arrival into Australia and throughout the vessel s stay in Australian waters. The original AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary (with AQIS endorsement/comments) must be retained on board the vessel for 2 years. If you answer yes to Question 29 on the QPAR, your Approval to Berth will include Ballast 1 and 3 above. If you answer no to Question 29 on the QPAR, your Approval to Berth will include Ballast 2 and 3 above.
Soon after your vessel arrives alongside at its first Australian port of call, a Quarantine Officer will attend on board to conduct a routine vessel inspection (RVI). The RVI will include an examination of a number of areas on your vessel for issues of quarantine concern. Part of the RVI involves scrutiny of ships records to verify that ballast water has been managed in accordance with Australian requirements. Ballast Water Management Record Keeping: If your vessel carries or is capable of carrying ballast water, you must keep records about uptakes, discharges and exchanges of all ballast water. The IMO Convention, when ratified by sufficient member states, will require all ships to keep a Ballast Water Management Record Book. AQIS recommends that all ships should start to keep such a book immediately but AQIS does not yet insist on this practise. Until the IMO Convention comes into force, Australia will accept real-time ballast water management records kept in other books such as the Deck Logbook. Nevertheless, the keeping of a dedicated Ballast Water Management Record Book immediately is strongly recommended. In addition to keeping real-time records of ballast water management undertaken, mariners must summarise what they have done to manage their vessels ballast water on the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Form (form AQIS 26). The Quarantine Officer will ask to see this form during the RVI. Copies of the AQIS Ballast Water Management Summary Form (form AQIS 26) and an example sheet showing how the form should be completed are available for download in both MS Word and PDF formats on the AQIS website (www.aqis.gov.au/shipping) Real Time Records about Ballast Water Management: To comply with the Australian requirements, all ballast water sourced from non- Australian ports or coastal regions should be exchanged by an approved method to at least 95% by volume. Exchanges should be conducted in deep water, as far as possible from any land mass and certainly before entry into Australia s territorial sea (12nm limit applies). Ballast water that has not been managed in accordance with the requirements may not be discharged inside the territorial sea.
AQIS strongly recommends that all ballast water on board a vessel should be managed regardless of any intention to discharge that water inside the territorial sea. This recommendation is on the basis that ship s cargo lifting requirements may change and cause an unforeseen necessity for ballast water to be discharged. It is a requirement for mariners to keep real time records of their ballast water management so that AQIS can verify that appropriate ballast water management has been undertaken. Real time records must include: Original source of ballast water in every tank (port or lat/long) Date and volume of original uptake Date, start and finish positions and times, ocean depth, method used, equipment used for exchanges. For empty / refill exchanges record residual volume at end of empty cycle before refilling (residual volume must be less than 5% of total water in the tank after exchange). For Flow through / dilution exchanges, record the percentage of tank s capacity flushed must be at least 300% - be sure to test the pumps regularly to determine current delivery rate. The ballast water management verification inspection should usually take about half an hour provided all the necessary records and documents are in order, ready and available for inspection. As well as examining logbook records, AQIS officers may wish you to sound some tanks or to show them your sea charts or GPS logs to verify that required ballast water exchanges were conducted outside the territorial sea and away from land. Provided AQIS is satisfied that what you declared on the QPAR is accurate, the ballast water conditions that appeared on the Approval to Berth document will be repeated on the Certificate of Pratique.