In recent years, everyone in the international maritime industry has become increasingly aware of the need to ensure ballast water doesn’t have a negative effect on the environment. The transferring of water from one part of the world to another can cause a great deal of damage on the local ecology, and the regulations make it quite clear that poor management of ballast water simply won’t be tolerated.

The long-awaited ratification of the Ballast Water Management Convention took place in September 2016, and it will be in force from September 2017 onwards. Vessel owners and operators have had a long time to put everything into place, but for those who haven’t been overly proactive the clock is most definitely ticking. Vessel operators need to check, monitor and record the quality of their ballast water like never before.

Ensuring compliance from now on is easy

Everyone in the industry needs to ensure compliance, and thanks to our easy to use marine ballast water kit there is no need to fall foul of regulations ever again. The kit contains everything you need to test accurately and effectively, including testing equipment for the following:

• Heterotrophic bacteria
• Enterococci
• coli

The kit also features a digital incubator and a convenient sturdy carry case. The maritime industry has become an increasingly hectic one over the years, so it’s important to remember that regular testing can be carried out without interrupting or affecting the smooth progress of any voyage.

The aim of the Ballast Water Management Convention is a simple – and laudable – one, so responsible owners and operators will want to do all they can to remain compliant. The transfer of a large quantity of water from one region to another can lead to imbalances in the ecosystem, and the consequences of such an action can be environmentally disastrous.

Ballast water monitoring can prevent environmental disasters

Marine biodiversity is a fragile entity in some areas, and the discharge of alien ballast water has had a large and unfortunate impact. One example involves the unintentional transfer of European zebra mussels into the expansive lakes of North America. These creatures may appear harmless, but they filter large quantities of water in search of food supplies.

As a result of this filtration, the lakes contain significantly clearer water. One of the by-products of more light reaching underwater is the reduction in numbers of several small aquatic creatures which has once provided food sources for a number of species of fish. This is one of many incidents caused by the transfer of ballast water, and it underlines just why we need to test our water regularly.