IMSML Website Article 03/2025: Resolution MEPC.370(80) - Amendments to the Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange (G6)

This is short article on Resolution MSC.370(80) was made by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at its 80th Session. It is found as the third subject-matter in Annex 1 of the Malaysian Shipping Notice (MSN) 14/2023. The main aim of the Resolution is to amend Paragraph 3.4, and delete the Appendix of the Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange (G6) which deal with ballast water record keeping and reporting. Note, that these amendments are made to the 2017 Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange (G6) which were originally passed via Resolution MEPC.288(71).

Section 1 of the Annex (see Annex 5, p 2) provides for an amended Paragraph 3.4 of the Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange (G6)(see Resolution MEPC.288(71) ):

[1] There must be a ‘completed’ ballast water reporting form;

[2] The completed form may be required by a Port State regarding the management of ballast water on a ship;

[3] The form is required whenever the ship is heading to:

[a] A port;

[b] An off-shore terminal;

[c] An anchorage area.

[4] Submission of the form may be required by the Port State prior to entry, within a specified time frame.

Note, that there is a deletion of the Appendix to the 2017 Guideline for ballast water exchange (G6) originally introduced by Resolution MEPC.288(71), see Section 2.

Thank you for reading IMSML Website Article 03/2024

Stay tuned for the next IMSML Website Article 04/2025: Resolution MEPC.372(80) - Guidelines for the Use of Electronic Record Books under the BWM Convention

Signing-off for today,

Dr Irwin Ooi Ui Joo, LL.B(Hons.)(Glamorgan); LL.M (Cardiff); Ph.D (Cardiff); CMILT

Professor of Maritime and Transport Law

Head of the Centre for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

Faculty of Law

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam

Selangor, Malaysia

Tuesday,  21 January 2025

Note that I am the corresponding author for the IMSML Website Articles. My official email address is: uijoo310@uitm.edu.my