How do I ensure my crew is properly trained for ballast water management compliance?

Deficiencies in crew training account for 21% of detainable deficiencies according to the results from last year's Concentrated Inspection Campaign on ballast water management ^[1]. Those results also revealed a change in how systems are being checked. Checks now include the actual performance, operation, and maintenance of installed ballast water treatment systems ^[1].

Having a type approved BWMS and an Administration's stamp in your Ballast Water Management Plan is no longer good enough.

Port State Control data shows that the BWMS itself is responsible for 46% of all detainable deficiencies ^[1]. Deficiencies in the Ballast Water Management Plan account for 15% of detainable deficiencies ^[1]. The most frequent deficiencies reported by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control relate to sloppy ballast water record book-keeping, inadequate crew training, system unfamiliarity, and invalid or missing certificates ^[1].

Over in the Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding campaign, 9.46% of questionnaires carried at least one negative answer relating to ballast water compliance ^[2].

Work is indeed underway at the International Maritime Organization level to better integrate ballast water management into standard maritime education and certification frameworks ^[1]. The bottom line is that the responsibility to ensure crews are trained on the specific BWMS installed onboard rests with ship management ^[1].

But where can you go to get that training? And more importantly, how do you know that the training you are getting will actually help reduce the levels of deficiencies your ship sees?

We deliver training on operating ballast water management systems and on current regulations. We deliver it to the regulators coming onboard, why shouldn't we arm your crews with the same information.

But training is more than just a video. Make sure you verify whether your crew's training has translated to understanding. Make sure you test and you check. Because you know Port State Control is coming, and they will be sure to check...

FAQ

What was the duration of the Concentrated Inspection Campaign on ballast water management?

The Concentrated Inspection Campaign on ballast water management was conducted over a three-month period ^[1].

Sources

1. Inspection Campaign Identifies System as Main Cause of Ballast Water Treatment Compliance Detentions, marinelink.com, Feb 2026
2. CIC Focus Topics 2020–2026: History & What Comes Next, marineinspection.app, Oct 2026