Other treaties address anti-fouling systems used on ships, the transfer of alien species by ships’ ballast water and the environmentally sound recycling of ships. Reductions of pollution generated by ships have been achieved by addressing technical, operational and human element issues and are all the more noteworthy when compared with the significant growth in the world’s shipping industry – both in the size of the world fleet and the distances that it travels. IMO is continuously pursuing a pro-active approach to enhance implementation and enforcement, both by flag and port States, including a pro-active action plan to ensure that shore-based reception facilities for ship generated waste keep up with international regulatory requirements.

Dotted line indicates ECA geographical limits

Pollution Prevention

In 1973, IMO adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, now known universally as MARPOL, which has been amended by the Protocols of 1978 and 1997 and kept updated with relevant amendments. The MARPOL Convention addresses pollution from ships by oil; by noxious liquid substances carried in bulk; harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form; sewage, garbage; and the prevention of air pollution from ships. MARPOL has greatly contributed to a significant decrease in pollution from international shipping and applies to 99% of the world’s merchant tonnage.
 

AIR EMISSIONS

At a regional level, the major development of recent times has been the launch of the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) in August 2012. This was not without its challenges given the requirement for vessels to burn marine fuel oil having a maximum of 1% sulphur content when within approximately 200 nautical miles of the North American coastline.

The allowable sulphur content of marine fuel reduced in 2015 to a maximum of 0.1% within ECA geographical limits and at the same time, the plan is for the global allowable content to be reduced to 0.5% in 2020. This later standard is subject to a fuel availability study to be completed by 2018. Alternative methods of compliance such as Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (commonly known as scrubbers) and the use of LNG as a marine fuel have been accelerated by the economic impact of the ECA zones in Northern Europe and North America.

Perhaps the greatest challenge faced from an environmental standpoint is that of further reductions in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Arbutus Point Marine is committed to helping shipping meet that challenge in Canada's Pacific ECA.