Marine Pollution from shipping activities

Marine pollution is a broad topic which includes national, European Union and international legal arrangements together with important recent developments. The 2001 Bunker Oil Pollution Convention will come into force in 2008. Its enactment within the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is discussed here. By contrast the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea1996 (1996 HNS) has not yet come into force due to practical difficulties. These difficulties together with their prospective solutions are explained. New case law relevant from a number of cases referred to the European Court of Justice and national courts is also discussed. The general legal framework for marine pollution and in particular the position of the person who is liable for damage is examined.