Almost 40% of ships flying an EU member state flag have recently failed to meet international rules on dumping toxic substances at sea, according to a new report from marine NGO Oceana. Some national vessel types failed to come up to scratch on every inspection carried out since 2000.
Checks carried out over the last four years on implementation of the international Marpol convention apparently revealed frequent deficiencies or violations. The treaty was agreed in the 1970s to control maritime pollution from oil, chemicals, harmful packaged substances, sewage and garbage.
The NGO says their findings highlight the need to reintroduce mandatory criminal sanctions against ship source pollution to a proposed EU directive, now coming up for its second reading in the European Parliament. Transport ministers this summer decided the proposal should not specify that sanctions be.
Oceana focuses particularly on marine hydrocarbon pollution, caused by tank washing and dumping bilge water, which it claims has led to concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that "could endanger marine life and public health".
Follow-up:
Oceana http://europe.oceana.org/