Ballast water rules under scrutiny
Ballast water practices in bulk carriers may come in for special investigation after unseasonal storms led to the grounding of the panamax bulk carrier Pasha Bulker near the entrance to Newcastle on Australia’ s east coast in June.
When the storm began lashing the coast there were 56 ships at anchor waiting for a berth, and the port instructed the masters to move out into open sea for safety. However, while most were able to do so, the Pasha Bulker, Sea Confidence and the Betis all struck trouble as gale-force winds and 17.9-metre seas hit the queuing ships.
The Pasha Bulker’s master repeatedly advised the port that he was doing “everything possible” to prevent her from running aground.
Sea Confidence and Betis both came within a mile of running aground but the Pasha Bulkerwedged herself onto one of Newcastle’s major swimming beaches. Subsequently, attention has focused on suspicions the ship may not have been carrying sufficient ballast water.
Australian regulations require ships to dispose of their foreign water ballast 12 miles offshore for environmental reasons before they take on local ballast water. Critics suggest this may mean the ships were vulnerable when proceeding to the Newcastle anchorage without any significant ballast.
