Environmental issues

The lives of the People of the Sea are closely bound to their environment. Pollution of marine and coastal areas harms their health, sources of food and quality of life.

International obligations

According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

"States have the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment."
UNCLOS, Art 192

UNCLOS further states that, within their territorial waters, states should take measures to

“prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source”
Ibid. Art 194

Territorial waters are usually defined as lying within a radius of 12 nautical miles from the shore. However pollution of the high seas is a global problem.

Causes of marine pollution

Sources from the United Nations Environment Programme identify land-based pollution as the most significant threat to the maritime environment.

“The major threats to the health, productivity and biodiversity of the marine environment result from human activities on land - in coastal areas and further inland. Some 80% of the pollution load in the oceans originates from land-based activities. This includes municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes and run-off, as well as atmospheric deposition.”
UNEP Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities

Atmospheric pollution is largely caused by road vehicles, aviation and industry. Pollution caused by the maritime industry is comparatively low. Both the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Chamber of Shipping claim that shipping is the least environmentally damaging form of commercial transport.

Oil

According to figures quoted by the IMO, the years 1988-2004 saw a massive 80% increase in seabourne trade. This was mainly due to the increase in the carriage of oil and petroleum products. In 2004 over two billion tonnes of oil were transported by sea. Estimates of the quantity of oil spilt over the same period have steadily reduced. But major accidents, although rare, have a devasting effect on the environment.

Ballast water

During the unloading of cargo, water is pumped into the holds of large ships to stabilise them. When ships are reloaded, this water is pumped out. If ballast water is pumped out in a different part of the world, eco-systems can be harmed by the introduction of non-native species. Both ballast and bilge water, i.e. waste water collected in the hull, can carry human pathogens and toxins which, on discharge, can pollute coastal waters. Outbreaks of cholera have been attributed to ballast discharge.

Ship “recycling”

The term “recycling” is usually associated with concern for the environment. However ship recycling, also known as “ship breaking” at its worst represents the dumping of toxic waste by rich countries on poor ones.

When a ship comes to the end of its life, some of the materials used in its construction, e.g. steel, can be recycled. However older ships may contain substances now considered dangerous. These include asbestos, paints containing lead, heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic, and even radioactive substances. Strict regulations regarding the handling of such materials, and the added cost of insurance, make ship breaking economically unviable in the West. Therefore most operations now take place in less developed countries where labour is cheap and regulations lax.

In 2005, pressure groups Greenpeace and the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues produced a report called “End of life: the human cost of breaking ships”. They found that workers employed in ship breaking were often poor, unqualified and easily exploited. Despite a lack of documentation on the part of employers, they found evidence of frequent casualties, often fatal, and high rates of cancer and asbestos-related conditions among workers in addition to atmospheric pollution in shipyards and on beaches where ship breaking takes place.

The report recognised that ship breaking provides an important source of income and employment to developing countries. It calls on governments of the countries where ship breaking takes place to do more to protect workers. In addition, ship owners and governments of rich industrialised countries are urged to take responsibility and ensure that decommissioned ships are safe for dismantling before they are sent abroad.

Regulations and agreements

The shipping industry, like many others, is subject to the pressures of public opinion. Positive attitudes to environmental protection make good commercial sense. The IMO cites improvements in energy efficiency, fuel quality and the use of ships with larger cargo-carrying capacities as contributing factors to a more environmentally friendly approach.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, known as the MARPOL Convention, entered into force in 1983. It has been signed by 136 countries, representing the owners of 98% of the world’s shipping tonnage. In 1997 an Annex was adopted on the Prevention of Air Pollution. Ratification was required by 15 states representing not less than 50% of the world’s merchant fleet. This took eight years, with the Annex entering into force in 2005.

The problem of ballast water was specifically addressed by the IMO in the 2004 Ballast Water Convention. This requires ratification by 30 countries representing 35% of world’s shipping tonnage in order to enter into force. By December 2006, only six countries, representing 0.62%, had ratified it. The IMO acknowledges that ratification of its instruments is too slow. Less developed countries may lack the technology to meet the requirements. There is a need to support the development of national maritime administrations.

Some regulation of ship breaking is covered by the Basel Convention, an international agreement on the movement and disposal of hazardous waste which entered into force in 1992. In 1995 an amendment was adopted with the aim of prohibiting the export of hazardous waste from industrialised countries to less developed countries. Ship breaking was cited as an area of special concern. Despite opposition from certain industry groups and nations, the amendment has been implemented by the European Union.

AOS and the environment

The Apostleship of the Sea recognises that living in a safe and clean environment is fundamental to the dignity of the person. People of the Sea suffer when oceans, beaches and coastal regions are polluted with the greater burden of suffering falling always on the poor. We support the use of international agreements where they aim to protect the lives and livelihoods of the People of the Sea. There is concern however that over-rigorous application of environmental law can result in unjust treatment of seafarers.

click here to read more about the criminalisation of seafarers