GLOBAL BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM - INDIA

Ballast Water Exchange

Ballast water exchange involves the replacement of water taken up in or near the port in which cargo is offloaded with water from areas further away from shore. 

Two major biological and ecological principles that provide the scientific foundation for ballast exchange are:

If the exchange occurs far enough from the continental margin, the probability of reciprocal introduction is virtually nonexistent. The oligotrophic conditions, high UV radiation levels, high salinities, predators, and other conditions of the oceanic environment are inhospitable (if not biocidal) to freshwater, estuarine, or inshore coastal organisms discharged into this environment. Conversely, oceanic organisms ballasted up in their place and discharged into freshwater, estuarine, or inshore coastal waters will encounter similarly hostile environments. If the exchange occurs far enough from the continental margin, the deballasted organisms will not survive the journey even if carried ashore by ocean currents, or the ocean currents would never bring them to shore.  

Two practical methods exist for conducting a ballast exchange at sea:

The first is to deballast and reballast individual or paired tanks in a sequential evolution, maintaining ship's stability (Sequential Ballast Exchange) and without exceeding longitudinal stresses or moments on the ship during the evolution. The second method is to flush the ballast tanks by pumping water into the tank allowing water inside the tank to overflow through vent pipes, loosened manways, or other fittings. The first method is more effective and timely in completely removing the ballast water inside a tank (or hold) and replacing it with deep ocean water. The latter is safer.

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