XN000022-1987-05-01 — Page 3

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1987

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REGULATIONS AGAINST MARINE POLLUTION GAZETTED

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FOUR SETS OF REGULATIONS WERE GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY) UNDER THE MERCHANT SHIPPING (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION) (HONG KONG) ORBER 1987, THE REGULATIONS COME INTO FORCE ON MAY & AND GIVE EFFECT TO ANNEX || OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM SHIPS 1973 (MARPOL).

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THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION BECİDED IN 1969 TO CONVENE A CONFERENCE ON MARINE POLLUTION FROM SHIPS BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1973 THAT THE CONFERENCE MET IN LONDON.

DELEGATIONS FROM 72 COUNTRIES ATTENDED AS WELL AS OBSERVERS FROM EIGHT COUNTRIES AND SOME 20 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS. THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SENT AN OBSERVER.

THE CONFERENCE PRODUCED A CONVENTION MADE UP OF FIVE ANNEXES DEALING WITH PREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY SHIPS FROM:

(1) OILF

(14) NOXIOUS LIQUID SUBSTANCES IN BULK;

(111) HARMFUL SUBSTANCES CARRIED BY SEA IN PACKAGED FORMS

(INCLUDING FREIGHT CONTAINERS) =

(IV) SEWAGE FROM SHIPS; AND

(Y) GARBAGE FROM SHIPS,

THE CONVENTION REQUIREMENTS WERE EXCEEDINGLY COMPLEX AND STRINGENT. VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS FOUND DIFFICULTY IN COMPLYING WITH THESE STANDARDS AS THE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO BE FITTED TO SHIPS ON THE IR REGISTERS WAS NOT IN EXISTENCE. THIS LED TO A FURTHER INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN WHICH THE ORIGINAL CONVENTION REQUIREMENTS WERE MODIFIED AND CLARIFIED. THEREAFTER VARIOUS COUNTRIES RATIFIED THE CONVENTION AND MADE THE NECESSARY STATE LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT THE CONVENTION REQUIREMENTS.

THE VARIOUS ANNEXES WOULD NOT BECOME INTERNATIONALLY BINDING UNTIL A YEAR AFTER MORE THAN 15 NATIONS HAD RATIFIED IT WHO HAD. BETWEEN THEM, MORE THAN 50 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL WORLD TONNAGE OF MERCHANT SHIPS UNDER THEIR FLAG STATE CONTROL.

ANNEX I BECAME BINDING INTERNATIONALLY ON OCTOBER 2, 1983

INTERNATIONALLY APR 1987 ANNEX 111, IV AND V ARE NOT

DINDING

THE REGULATIONS GAZETTED TODAY HAVE TWO EFFECTS1

* THEY ALLOW THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE APPROPRIATE INTERNATIONALLY VALID MARPOL ANNEX 11 CERTIFICATES TO SHIPS ON THE HONG KONG REGISTER. FAILURE To Do so COULD LEAD TO OTHER COUNTRIES REFUSING TO ALLOW HONG KONG SHIPS TO ENTER THE IR PORTS AND, IF THEY DID 80, TO BETAIN THEM :

✯ THEY ALLOW ...............