Ballast water

A number of ships use ballast water during transport. The water can contain so-called invasive species, i.e. small marine animals and other organisms that live in the area where the ballast water is collected. When the ballast water is transported to other areas of the sea and discharged the invasive species can pose a threat to the marine environment into which they have been released.

In 2004, in an attempt to minimise the spreading of invasive species, the UN’s International Maritime Organization, IMO, passed a convention imposing ships to process the ballast water before releasing it back into the sea. The convention came into force 8 september 2017.

Please find the Policy Paper from Danish Shipping below for further information on the challenges connected to ballast water.

 

The Little Blue Book on Ballast Water

To assist Danish shipping companies implement the Ballast Water Convention, Danish Shipping has produced the “The Little Blue Book on Ballast Water” in September 2017.

This brochure is a guideline on the various aspects of implementing the Ballast Water Convention and is intended to be used by the vessels’ masters, officers and the shore based personnel involved in the implementation of the convention.

The Little Blue Book on Ballast Water was initiated by Danish Shipping and developed by LITEHAUZ through a donation from the Danish Maritime Fund.

Click the link below to download The Little Blue Book on Ballast Water.