Ship's response on Early Warning System in the Ballast Water Management

Merchant ships should be appropriate ballasted due to seaworthy requirement. Ballast water is an environmental issue that can have great impact to the biodiversity of some port areas and entire coastal sea. Significant element of risk reduction in a spreading invasive species that can be carried in ship's ballast tanks is Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP). With the Earl Warning System (EWS) the coastal states will notify mariners of areas under their jurisdiction where ships should not uptake ballast water due to presence of a threat to the environment in accordance with rule B-2 of the International Convention on the control and management of ships' ballast water and sediments (BWM Convention). Ship affected by warning signal would be in restricted ballasting regime. Ship's response on the EWS should be prompt with developed scenarios for certain situations. Master of the ship is responsible for the implementation of the foreseen procedures. The aim of this paper is to show the possibility of the new EWS implementation in Croatia and procedure in order to reduce the risk of spreading Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens (HAOP) by ballast water. The paper also provides a possible response of the ship to the occurrence of a threat covered by the EWS.