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Guest |
When Port State Control (PSC) rolls out its annual Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) in September 2025, it will turn its full attention to ballast water management. Between 1 September and 30 November 2025, inspectors tasked with monitoring compliance with the Paris and Tokyo memoranda of understanding (MoU) will focus on ballast water record-keeping, system performance and documentation consistency. On paper, this may seem like another compliance check in the maritime calendar. In practice, it will act as a stress test for every vessel’s operational readiness and compliance, particularly as new regulatory expectations take effect and industry-wide deficiencies persist.
The scope of the 2025 CIC reflects a broader shift in how maritime compliance is enforced. Where inspections once zeroed in on technical malfunctions, today’s PSC authorities are increasingly concerned with operational behaviour, documentation discipline and crew awareness.
Ballast water record-keeping has emerged as one of the most significant areas of concern. According to Paris MoU data, 58 per cent of non-compliance deficiencies in ballast water management are linked to poor record-keeping or administrative errors. And the issue is not limited to clerical mistakes. PSC inspections have flagged discrepancies between records and actual operations, mismatches between logbooks and onboard systems, and the use of outdated record book versions. DNV statistics from 2024-2025 echo these trends, with missing flag approvals and unreported ballast water management system malfunctions noted frequently. As these gaps compound, so do the risks – for shipowners, operations and seafarers.
These inspections come as regulatory complexity expands. The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved amendments to the Ballast Water Management Convention at its 82nd session. The revisions, which became effective in February 2025, obligate shipowners to provide detailed maintenance tracking, clearly document contingency measures and verify that their crew is familiar with the requirements. MEPC 83 reinforces this by tightening data reporting across greenhouse gas emissions and ballast water handling, creating a compliance landscape where paperwork and performance are inseparable.
For shipowners, this demands more than diligence. It calls for better tools to manage compliance beyond fragmented or manual systems. What makes this moment particularly challenging is the convergence of new regulations, inspection pressure and rising crew workload. Crews already juggle voyage planning, safety and emissions reporting, but now they face additional environmental compliance tasks.
Traditional record-keeping – whether done via paper documents or isolated digital logs – is no longer fit for purpose. Even where electronic systems exist, failures persist if they aren’t properly configured, connected to data sources, or recognised by flag authorities.
Many detainable findings stem from preventable issues, such as missing entries, outdated templates and mismatched data between the logbook and ballast water management system. With the CIC targeting these very vulnerabilities, inaction comes at a cost.
Consequently, leading ship operators are turning to integrated digital platforms that streamline compliance onboard and onshore. The NAPA Logbook is one such tool gaining traction, especially for ballast water and broader schemes such as the European Union – Monitoring, Reporting and Verification regulation (EU-MRV), the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS), and the IMO Document Collection System (IMO-DCS).
The NAPA Logbook acts as a compliance engine. The solution is pre-loaded with up-to-date templates, ensuring all required data is recorded efficiently. It is also connected to onboard systems, so it automatically fills fields, flags irregularities and validates entries in real time. In addition, it helps crews to log maintenance actions and contingency plans with time-stamped entries and digital signatures, supporting full traceability and audit readiness.
Integrated with NAPA’s web platform, NAPA Fleet Intelligence, NAPA Logbook extends compliance visibility beyond the vessel. Data is shared instantly with shoreside executives, technical managers and verifiers, such as DNV’s Emission Connect, reducing manual inputs and creating a single source of truth for reporting and decision-making. These systems are essential tools for operational agility and business continuity.
Ballast water compliance is about building a culture of accountability. As oversight intensifies, this culture must be supported by systems that keep pace.
Shipowners embracing digital compliance are reducing risk, freeing up crew and enabling safer, more efficient, and more sustainable operations.
Tommi Vihavainen is a naval architect and digital compliance expert with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of ship operations and maritime software. He is responsible for driving the development of NAPA Logbook at NAPA
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