Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly
International Maritime Law
Simon Baughen*
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
220. Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 2002 (IMO)
The Convention entered into force on 23 April 2014 for the following states: Albania, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Kingdom.
221. Nairobi International Convention on the removal of wrecks 2007 (IMO)
The Convention entered into force on 14 April 2015, 12 months after it had been ratified by ten States: Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, India, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Palau and the United Kingdom.
222. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Annex 6 (IMO)
The provisions of Annex VI to MARPOL 73/78 Convention were implemented on 1 January 2015. After this date all vessels operating in emission controlled areas (“ECAs”) are prohibited from burning fuel with a sulphur content of more than 0.1%. The previous limit was 1%. There are currently four ECAs: the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, North America and Canada.
New rules will apply to bunker supply. Upon delivery to the ship, the bunker delivery must state information including the name, address, and telephone number of the marine fuel oil supplier, product name(s), quantity, density and sulphur content, together with a declaration signed and certified by the fuel oil supplier’s representative “that the fuel oil supplied is in conformity with the applicable subparagraph of regulation 14.1 or 14.4 and regulation 18.3 of Annex VI”. The bunker delivery note must be retained by all vessels for a minimum of three months.
Guidelines have been issued to enable the correct sampling of fuel oil for determination of compliance with MARPOL Annex VI. There are three sets of samples: representative—an average for the total volume sampled; primary—the representative sample of the fuel delivered to the ship, and throughout the bunkering period, obtained by the sampling equipment positioned at the bunker manifold of the receiving ship; retained—the sample which is taken and tested in accordance with MARPOL regulations, and is derived from the
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW
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