1 A ship to which this Convention applies may,
in any port or offshore terminal of another Party, be subject to inspection
by officers duly authorized by that Party for the purpose of determining
whether the ship is in compliance with this Convention. Except as
provided in paragraph 2 of this Article, any such inspection is limited
to:
-
(a) verifying that there is onboard a valid Certificate,
which, if valid shall be accepted; and
-
(b) inspection of the Ballast Water record book,
and/or
-
(c) a sampling of the ship's Ballast Water, carried
out in accordance with the guidelines to be developed by the Organization.
However, the time required to analyse the samples shall not be used
as a basis for unduly delaying the operation, movement or departure
of the ship.
2 Where a ship does not carry a valid Certificate
or there are clear grounds for believing that:
-
(a) the condition of the ship or its equipment
does not correspond substantially with the particulars of the Certificate;
or
-
(b) the master or the crew are not familiar with
essential shipboard procedures relating to Ballast Water Management,
or have not implemented such procedures;
a detailed inspection may be carried out.
3 In the circumstances given in paragraph 2 of
this Article, the Party carrying out the inspection shall take such
steps as will ensure that the ship shall not discharge Ballast Water
until it can do so without presenting a threat of harm to the environment,
human health, property or resources.