B4.3.1 Marpol Convention
The MARPOL Convention is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It is a combination of two treaties adopted in 1973 and 1978 respectively and updated by amendments through the years.
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO and covered pollution by oil, chemicals, harmful substances in packaged form, sewage and garbage. The Protocol of 1978 relating to the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (1978 MARPOL Protocol) was adopted at a Conference on Tanker Safety and Pollution Prevention in February 1978 held in response to a spate of tanker accidents in 1976-1977. (Measures relating to tanker design and operation were also incorporated into a Protocol of 1978 relating to the 1974 Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974).
As the 1973 MARPOL Convention had not yet entered into force, the 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the parent Convention. The combined instrument is referred to as the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78), and it entered into force on 2 October 1983 (Annexes I and II).
The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships – both accidental pollution and that from routine operations – and currently includes six technical Annexes:
Annex I Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil.
Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk.
Annex III Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form.
Annex IV Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships.
Annex V Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships.
Annex VI Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships (entry into force 19 May 2005).
States Parties must accept Annexes I and II, but the other Annexes are voluntary.
Source: http://www.imo.org
© 2002 International Maritime Organisation
The total amount of water on the earth is about 326 million cubic miles of water.