140 TOMMI VIHAVAINEN 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 Port State Control is putting ballast water compliance under the spotlight. Shipowners must invest in digital solutions as a strategic imperative to stay compliant Will you pass the ballast water compliance test? 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discrepancies between records and actual operations, mismatches between logbooks and onboard systems, and the use of outdated record book versions.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 COMMENTARY
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