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UAE signs pact on pollution from ships

ABU DHABI — The UAE has endorsed the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships (Marpol 73/78) as per the federal decree No 74 of 2006.

The convention will take effect as of today. Before the admission, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Governmental Sector Development and Chairman of the National Authority for Communications (NAC), has instructed the authority to take all measures needed to meet requirements of the convention.

Salim Ali Al Za’abi, assistant under- secretary at NAC for land and sea affairs, said the UAE’s move was in implementation of the GCC recommendation for quick admission to the Marpol convention.

He said that a national committee comprising representatives from seaports, Supreme Petroleum Council , Adnoc, Federal Environment Agency and the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi, was set up to remove obstacles and establish a mechanism to put the GCC recommendation in place.

The convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimising 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.

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