Ballast Water Management Decision Support System - Global Maritime Transport and Ballast Water Management: Issues and Solutions - page 230

- the vessel's next port of call; and

- IMO.

The essentially needed communication regarding BWM is established between
PSA in the ballast water recipient port and the vessel that intends to discharge
ballast water as follows:

- the vessel intending to discharge ballast water submits requested information as

ballast water reporting form (BWRF) to the PSA;

- PSA communicates to the vessel the decision on BWM requirements;

- other communication, e.g., in case the BWRF was not satisfactory completed or

the vessel was not able to conduct the required BWM.

In case a vessel would be found non-compliant with the BWM Convention, PSA
that established this, needs to communicate it to the related vessel, the vessel's
Administration, the vessel's next port of call and the recognized organization
responsible for the issue of certifi cates. Should additional BWM measures be intro-
duced in a known epidemic or emergency situation, PSA needs to communicate this
to all vessels in the area(s) under their jurisdiction where vessels should not uptake
ballast water, and the ballast water uptake avoidance area(s) need to be communi-
cated also to IMO.
The preferred communication pathway may be via electronic means, fully or
partially automated, e.g., via internet application, email, fax, telex, vessels agent,
telephone. Non-automated means of submitting information, i.e., on paper forms,
are considered as impractical since the information would not be exchanged and
implemented into DSS in a timely manner.

Ballast Water Risk Assessment

The RA forms a core part of DSS triggering different decisions regarding:

- BWM practice needed;

- compliance monitoring needs; and

- the level of inspection.

In the RA based DSS, the decisions on BWM practices mostly 4 rely on the results
of the RA, e.g., high/extreme risk - the vessel must conduct BWM, medium risk -
should conduct BWM, low risk - may conduct BWM. The RA results are further
critical for taking decisions regarding compliance monitoring; i.e., targeting vessels
for inspection, as well as taking decisions on the level of inspection, i.e., paper
checks, indicative BWS, detailed BWS.

4 Decision on the need for BWM practice may rely also on trustworthiness, i.e ., compliance history
of a vessel, master or responsible offi cer.