MARPOL Special Areas

The 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL, as amended in 1978) provides for the establishment of special areas where particularly strict standards are applied to discharges from ships. These areas are semi-enclosed seas, such as the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf and Antarctica.

 

The MARPOL Convention was adopted under the auspices of the IMO to deal with all forms of intentional pollution of the sea from ships, other than dumping. Detailed pollution standards are set out in six Annexes. These are concerned with oil (Annex I), noxious liquid substances in bulk (Annex II), harmful substances carried by sea in packaged forms (Annex III), sewage (Annex IV), garbage (Annex V) and air pollution (Annex VI). Special areas provisions are contained in Annexes I, II and V. For instance, under Annex I, special area means 'a sea area where for recognised technical reasons in relation to its oceanographical and ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic the adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution by oil is required'.

 

In practice, no tanker over 150 tons is allowed to operate the load-on-top system under which limited discharges of oily water may be made while it is in route in the Mediterranean. Special areas are listed in the relevant Annexes. For example, the whole Mediterranean Sea area is a special area for the purposes of Annexes I and V.