MARPOL 73/78

MARPOL 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978. It is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. It was designed to minimize pollution of the 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.

History

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, and 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. All ships flagged under countries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject to its requirements, regardless of where they sail.

Annexes

MARPOL 73/78 is divided into six annexes, each of which was ratified at a different time and has different enforcement dates. These annexes cover various sources of pollution from ships and provide an overarching framework for international objectives to control marine pollution.

• 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

Implementation

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is responsible for maintaining and updating the convention, including the technical annexes. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMO is empowered to consider any matter within the scope of the organization that is concerned with prevention and control of pollution from ships.

See also

• International Maritime Organization
• Marine pollution
• Oil spill
• Ballast water discharge and the environment