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MARPOL 73/78 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MARPOL 73/78
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marpol 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of

Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978.
("Marpol" is short for marine pollution and 73/78 short for the years
1973 and 1978.)
Marpol 73/78 is one of the most important international marine
environmental conventions. It was designed to minimize pollution of the
MARPOL 73/78 ratifying states
seas, including dumping, oil and exhaust pollution. Its stated object is to
preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of
pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances.
The original MARPOL was signed on 17 February 1973, but did not come into force due to lack of ratifications.
The current convention is a combination of 1973 Convention and the 1978 Protocol. It entered into force on 2
October 1983. As of May 2013, 152 states, representing 99.2 per cent of the world's shipping tonnage, are parties
to the convention.[1]
All ships flagged under countries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject to its requirements, regardless of
where they sail and member nations are responsible for vessels registered under their respective nationalities.[2]

Contents
1 Annexes
2 Amendments
3 Implementation and enforcement
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Annexes

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List of the MARPOL 73/78 Annexes

Annex

Title

Annex
prevention of pollution by oil & oily water
I

Entry into
force [3]

No. of Contracting
Parties/States [3]

% of the World
Tonnage [3]

2 October
1983

Annex control of pollution by noxious liquid

II
substances in bulk
Annex prevention of pollution by harmful substances
III
carried by sea in packaged form

1 July
1992

138

97.59

19 May
2005

72

94.70

Annex
pollution by sewage from ships
IV
Annex
pollution by garbage from ships
V
Annex
Prevention of air pollution from ships
VI
Notes
^ As of 31 July 2013
^ Based on World Fleet Statistics as of 31 December 2012

Amendments
Marpol Annex VI amendments according with MEPC 176(58)
(http://www.imo.org/includes/blastDataOnly.asp/data_id%3D23760/176%2858%29.pdf) came into force 1 July
2010.
Amended Regulations 12
(http://www.ancomaritime.com/files/Ozone_Depleting_Substances_Marpol_Regulation_12.html) concerns control
and record keeping of Ozone Depleting Substances.
Amended Regulation 14 (http://www.ancomaritime.com/files/Fuel_Oil_Change_over_procedures%20.html)
concerns mandatory fuel oil change over procedures for vessels entering or leaving SECA areas and FO sulphur
limits.

Implementation and enforcement

In order for IMO standards to be binding, they must first be ratified by a total number of member countries whose
combined gross tonnage represents at least 50% of the world's gross tonnage, a process that can be lengthy. A
system of tacit acceptance has therefore been put into place, whereby if no objections are heard from a member
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state after a certain period has elapsed, it is assumed they have assented to the treaty.
All six Annexes have been ratified by the requisite number of nations; the most recent is Annex VI, which took
effect in May 2005. The country where a ship is registered (Flag State) is responsible for certifying the ship's
compliance with MARPOL's pollution prevention standards. Each signatory nation is responsible for enacting
domestic laws to implement the convention and effectively pledges to comply with the convention, annexes, and
related laws of other nations. In the United States, for example, the relevant implementation legislation is the Act to
Prevent Pollution from Ships.[2]
One of the difficulties in implementing MARPOL arises from the very international nature of maritime shipping. The
country that the ship visits can conduct its own examination to verify a ship's compliance with international standards
and can detain the ship if it finds significant noncompliance. When incidents occur outside such country's jurisdiction
or jurisdiction cannot be determined, the country refers cases to flag states, in accordance with MARPOL. A 2000
GAO report documented that even when referrals have been made, the response rate from flag states has been
poor.[2]
In Europe, 1st January 2015 Maritime shipping levels is to become legally subject to new MARPOL directives
because the SECA (Sulphur Emission Controlled Areas) zone is due to increase in size. This larger SECA zone will
include the North Sea, Scandinavia, and parts of the English Channel. This area is set to include all of the Republic
of Ireland's international waters in 2020 culminating in all of Western Europe's subjection to the MARPOL
directive. This has proven controversial for shipping and ferry operators across Europe.
Concerns have been raised about the environmental damage moving back to the roads by some of the larger ferry
operators that ship substantial amounts of freight and passenger traffic via these routes affected by IMO standards.
They claim that MARPOL will drive up ferry costs for the consumer and freight forwarding companies pushing
them back onto the European roadways as a financially more cost effective measure compared to increased ferry
costs, thereby defeating the object of reducing water pollution.[4]

See also
Crude oil washing
Marine energy management
Marine fuel management
Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Act 2006
Ship pollution
Oil Pollution Act of 1990

References
1. ^ http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/StatusOfConventions/Documents/status-x.xls
2. ^ a b c Copeland, Claudia. "Cruise Ship Pollution: Background, Laws and Regulations, and Key Issues"
(http://www.earth-forum.com/NLE/CRSreports/08Jun/RL32450.pdf) (Order Code RL32450). Congressional
Research Service (Updated 6 February 2008). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public
domain.
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3. ^ a b c Summary of Status of Conventions

(http://www.imo.org/About/Conventions/StatusOfConventions/Documents/Summary%20of%20Status%20of%20
Conventions.xls), www.imo.org
4. ^ What is MARPOL and its impact to the freight market? (https://www.freightlink.co.uk/knowledge/articles/whatmarpol-and-its-impact-freight-market), www.freightlink.co.uk

External links
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto

Wikimedia Commons has

media related to MARPOL.

(MARPOL 73/78)
(http://www.imo.org/about/conventions/listofconventions/pages/international-convention-for-the-preventionof-pollution-from-ships-(marpol).aspx)
Amendments to the Annex of the Protocol of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships
(http://www.ecolex.org/ecolex/ledge/view/RecordDetails;DIDPFDSIjsessionid=D9BB277000DBC9205BB
8C72E4AB059F6?id=TRE-000841&index=treaties), Treaty available in ECOLEX-the gateway to
environmental law (English)
IMO Overview of Emission Control Areas
(http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/SpecialAreasUnderMARPOL/Pages/Defau
lt.aspx)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MARPOL_73/78&oldid=636724065"
Categories: Environmental treaties Water pollution Environmental issues with shipping Ocean pollution
International Maritime Organization treaties Treaties concluded in 1973 Treaties concluded in 1978
Treaties entered into force in 1983 Admiralty law treaties 1983 in the environment 1978 in London
Treaties of Albania Treaties of Algeria Treaties of Angola Treaties of Antigua and Barbuda
Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of Azerbaijan
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Treaties of Dominica Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of Ecuador Treaties of Egypt
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Treaties of the Polish People's Republic Treaties of Portugal Treaties of Qatar Treaties of Romania
Treaties of the Soviet Union Treaties of Saint Kitts and Nevis Treaties of Saint Lucia
Treaties of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties of Samoa Treaties of So Tom and Prncipe
Treaties of Saudi Arabia Treaties of Senegal Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Seychelles
Treaties of Singapore Treaties of Sierra Leone Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of the Solomon Islands
Treaties of South Africa Treaties of Spain Treaties of Sri Lanka Treaties of Suriname Treaties of Sweden
Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Syria Treaties of Thailand Treaties of Togo Treaties of Tonga
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Treaties of Venezuela Treaties of Vietnam Treaties of Yugoslavia Treaties of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
1973 in London Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands
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Treaties extended to Portuguese Macau
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