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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 (entry into force date 27
September 2003) |
| Annex
V |
Prevention
of Pollution by Garbage from Ships |
| Annex
VI |
Prevention
of Air Pollution from Ships (adopted September 1997 -
not yet in force) |
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