GAC warns approaching ships of Angola's sudden ballast water decree

THE Angolan government has issued a decree requiring steps be taken to ensure ballast water management requirements are met before vessels arrive, but Dubai's Gulf Agency Company's (GAC) Hot Port News says this has not been communicated to ships approaching Angola.

Operators must ensure that vessels and/or installations originating from outside the country and operating under their responsibility follow Angolan Executive Decree 12-05, Article 10 regarding ballast water management as follows:

"a) Have the means recommended by the international maritime organisation for managing ballast water, namely the following as applicable: I. a ballast water management plan as an integral part of the operationalplan for the installation; II. a record book in which the following are recorded 1. The coordinates of the loading/discharge points, the quantity of water loaded/discharged, the capacity of the tanks as well as the date ofoperations and the duration of the discharge. 2. The location of the sampling points. 3. The date when sediments were last cleaned. 4. The names of the persons responsible for implementing the ballast water management plan and of the person responsible for the records. b) Proceed, immediately after loading, to treating the ballast water with the minimum quantity of biocide needed to eliminate micro-organisms; c) Proceed with exchanging ballast water at a distance of over 100 nautical miles from the Angolan coast."

For further details and information about operations in Angola contact GAC Angola at angola@gac.com