Panama: circular on the Ballast Water Management Convention

The Panama Maritime Authority has issued a merchant marine circular on the Ballast Water Management Convention, 2004.

This circular was issued on 1 July 2023.

The purpose of this Merchant Marine Circular is to inform about Panama's accession to the Ballast Water Management Convention 2004, which entered into force on 8 September 2017.

It provides guidance and instructions for complying with the Convention adopted by Panama and related IMO Resolutions and Circulars.

The Ballast Water Management Convention applies to all types of vessels, including submersibles, floating craft, platforms, FSUs, and FPSOs. Panamanian-flagged ships with ballast water tanks must have a Ballast Water Management Plan and a Ballast Water Record Book.

Ships of 400 gross tonnage and above must carry an International Ballast Water Management Certificate, an approved Ballast Water Management Plan, and a Ballast Water Record Book.

When discharging Ballast Water and Sediments at the same location where they originated and no mixing with unmanaged Ballast Water occurred, the B-3 regulation requirements do not apply. If mixing happened, the Ballast Water taken from other areas must be managed.

Mobile offshore units, including Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, need an International Ballast Water Management Certificate according to applicable Convention regulations.

Ballast water and sediments in their tanks can be treated by an approved internal circulation method or other acceptable management methods.

For entry or re-entry into exclusive operation, specific guidelines (BWM.2/Circ.52/Rev.1) should be followed, depending on the situation, such as mobile offshore units visiting dry-docks.

The IBWMC does not apply to ships not designed to carry Ballast Water or to permanent Ballast Water in sealed tanks not subject to discharge.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):