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A SEA TRAINING INSTITUTE
R Engineering Guided Sea Training
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IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized
agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of
marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO's work supports the UN SDGs.
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The purposes of the IMO, as set forth in the convention, are the following:
1.to facilitate cooperation among governments on technical matters of all kinds affecting shipping
engaged in international trade;
I 2.to encourage the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning
M maritime safety, efficiency of navigation, and the prevention and control of marine pollution;
3.to encourage the removal of discriminatory action and unnecessary restrictions by governments
O engaged in international trade, so as to promote the availability of shipping services to world
commerce without discrimination;
4.to consider matters concerning unfair restrictive practices by shipping concerns
5.to consider any matters concerning shipping that may be referred to the IMO by any UN organ or
specialized agency.
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The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
MARPOL is the main international convention aimed at the prevention of pollution
M from ships caused by operational or accidental causes. It was adopted at the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1973. The Protocol of 1978 was adopted
in response to a number of tanker accidents in 1976–1977. The 1978 Protocol was
A absorbed into the parent Convention and the combined instrument entered into force in
1983. In 1997, a Protocol was adopted to amend the Convention and a new Annex VI
R was added, which came into force in May 2005. The technical requirements of
MARPOL are included in six separate Annexes:
P Annex I—Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil
Annex II—Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in
O Bulk
Annex III—Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried in Sea in Packaged
L Annex IV—Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships
Form
Annex V—Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships
Annex VI—Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships
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ANNEX I (entered into force 2 October 1983)
M Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil
A Covers prevention of pollution by oil from operational measures as well as from
accidental discharges; the 1992 amendments to Annex I made it mandatory for new
R oil tankers to have double hulls and brought in a phase-in schedule for existing
tankers to fit double hulls, which was subsequently revised in 2001 and 2003.
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Special areas under MARPOL Annex 1:
M 1. The Mediterranean Sea.
2. Baltic Sea.
A 3. The Black Sea.
R 4. The Red Sea.
5. “Gulfs” area.
P 6. The Gulf of Aden.
O 7. Antarctic sea.
8. North West European waters.
L 9. Oman area of the Arabian Sea.
10. Southern South African waters.
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Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious
Liquid Substances in Bulk (entered into force 2 October 1983)
M Details the discharge criteria and measures for the control of pollution by noxious
A liquid substances carried in bulk; some 250 substances were evaluated and included
in the list appended to the Convention; the discharge of their residues is allowed only
R to reception facilities until certain concentrations and conditions (which vary with
the category of substances) are complied with.
P In any case, no discharge of residues containing noxious substances is permitted
O within 12 miles of the nearest land.
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Annex III Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances
M Carried by Sea in Packaged Form (entered into force 1 July
1992)
A Contains general requirements for the issuing of detailed standards on
packing, marking, labelling, documentation, stowage, quantity limitations,
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exceptions and notifications.
P For the purpose of this Annex, “harmful substances” are those substances
O which are identified as marine pollutants in the International Maritime
Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) or which meet the criteria in the
L Appendix of Annex III.
Annex IV Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships
M (entered into force 27 September 2003)
Contains requirements to control pollution of the sea by sewage; the
A discharge of sewage into the sea is prohibited, except when the ship has
in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or when the ship is
R discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using an approved
system at a distance of more than three nautical miles from the nearest
P land; sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected has to be
discharged at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest
O land.
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Annex V Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from
M Ships (entered into force 31 December 1988)
Deals with different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land
A and the manner in which they may be disposed of; the most important
feature of the Annex is the complete ban imposed on the disposal into the
R sea of all forms of plastics.
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The special areas established under Annex V are:
· the Mediterranean Sea area
M · the Baltic Sea area
A · the Black Sea area
· the Red Sea area
R · the Gulfs area
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the North Sea area
the Wider Caribbean Region and
O · the Antarctic area.
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ANNEX V GARBAGE Disposal Outside Special Areas
Plastics Including but not limited to
synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets,
plastic garbage bags and incinerator
ashes from plastic products that may
contain toxic or heavy metal residue
NO DISCHARGE
ANNEX V GARBAGE Disposal Outside Special Areas
2. Dunnage, lining and packing materials which will float
More than 25 nautical miles from nearest land
3. Food waste and other garbage including paper products, rags,
glass, metal, bottles, crockery and similar refuse
More than 12 nautical miles
ANNEX V GARBAGE Disposal Outside Special Areas
4)Food waste and other garbage including paper products,
rags, glass, metal, bottles, crockery and similar refuse
More than 3 nautical miles if comminuted or
ground and can pass through a screen no
greater than 25 mm.
ANNEX V GARBAGE Disposal within Special Areas
1. Plastics
No Discharge
2. All other garbage, including paper products, rags, glass, metal,
bottles, crockery, lining and packing materials
No Discharge
ANNEX V GARBAGE Disposal within Special Areas
3. Food waste
More than 12 nautical miles from the
nearest land
4. Food waste in wider Caribbean region
More than 3 nautical miles if comminuted or
ground and shall be capable of passing
through a screen with openings no greater
than 25 mm.
Garbage Disposal outside Special Areas
•PRCMFG – Paper, Rags, Crockery, 3 mi
Metals, Food waste, Glass NONE
•DLP Materials – floating Dunnage, 3 - 12 mi
Lining, and Packing materials PRCMFG (Ground)
•“GROUND” – means garbage that 12 - 25 mi
has been ground to 25mm or 1 inch PRCMFG (Ground and Not Ground)
•“PLASTIC” – nowhere to be
discharge while afloat Outside 25 mi
PRCMFG (Ground and Not Ground)
DLP Materials
Garbage Disposal outside Special Areas
DISTANCE FROM NEAREST LAND DISPOSAL PERMITTED DISPOSAL PROHIBITED
•PRCMFG (Ground)
•PRCMFG (not Ground)
WITH IN 3 MILES NONE
•DLP materials
•PLASTIC
•PRCMFG (not Ground)
3 – 12 miles PRCMFG (Ground) •DLP materials
•PLASTIC
•DLP materials
12 – 25 miles PRCMFG (Ground and not Ground)
•PLASTIC
PRCMFG (Ground and not Ground)
OUTSIDE 25 miles •PLASTIC
DLP Materials
PLASTIC FOOD WASTE FLOATING PAPER, RAGS,
DUNNAGE, GLASS,
LINING and CROCKERY,
PACKING GLASS, METALS
MATERIALS BOTTLES and
SIMILAR
REFUSE
MARPOL 73/78
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Annex VI Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships
M (entered into force 19 May 2005)
Sets limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship
A exhausts and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting
substances; designated emission control areas set more stringent
standards for SOx, NOx and particulate matter. A chapter adopted in
R 2011 covers mandatory technical and operational energy efficiency
measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
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