“Gulfs area” and Southern South African waters Special Areas take effect on 1 August 2008

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

31 Jul 2008

Special Areas in which the discharge of wastes from ships is prohibited will take effect in the “Gulfs area” and off southern South Africa on 1 August 2008, providing extra protection from pollution from shipping in those areas under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). “Gulfs area” Special Area The “Gulfs area” was established as a Special Area in 1973, when MARPOL was adopted, but the discharge requirements therein could not take effect until States in the area had ratified the Convention and provided adequate reception facilities.
Following a 10-year regional project on the implementation of MARPOL, organized and administrated by ROPME/MEMAC, with support from IMO's Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme, all the States in the “Gulfs area" have now ratified MARPOL and have provided adequate reception and treatment facilities for Annex I and Annex V ship-generated wastes in ports, terminals and ship repair ports in the area.
Annex I covers pollution by oil from ships and Annex V covers pollution by garbage from ships.
Southern South African waters Special Area The Southern South African waters Special Area under MARPOL Annex I was adopted as an amendment to MARPOL in 2006, and an MEPC resolution was adopted in 2007 establishing 1 August 2008 as the date on which the discharge requirements take effect.  This followed information provided by South Africa that adequate reception facilities for oily wastes from ships were provided in all major ports within the Special Area.
ROPME: Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment.
MEMAC: Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Centre, based in Bahrain.
MARPOL Special Areas status: list of all special areas on the IMO website at http://www.imo.org/home.asp?topic_id=760
The “Gulfs area” means the sea area located north-west of the rhumb line between Ras al Hadd (22°30' N, 059°48' E) and Ras al Fasteh (25°04' N, 061° 25' E);
The Southern South African waters Special Area incorporates the continental shelf from the mouth of the Spoeg River in the west to immediately east of the Great Fish river mouth in the east extending out to the continental shelf break at the 500 m isobath. The area encompasses the whole of the continental shelf region known as the Agulhas Bank as well as the southern and central portion of the southern Benguela upwelling ecosystem.
The Southern South African waters mean the sea area enclosed by the following co-ordinates:
31° 14 S; 017° 50 E
31° 30 S; 017° 12 E
32° 00 S; 017° 06 E
32° 32 S; 016° 52 E
34° 06 S; 017° 24 E
36° 58 S; 020° 54 E
36° 00 S; 022° 30 E
35° 14 S; 022° 54 E
34° 30 S; 026° 00 E
33° 48 S; 027° 25 E
33° 27 S; 027°12 E
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 pollution by ships.

Source: IMO