Shanghai takes stronger steps to tackle foreign ship pollution

The captains of foreign cargo ships will face detention by maritime law enforcement bodies if they are caught illegally dumping chemical waste in local waterways, maritime officials announced yesterday. In the past, captains of such ships would simply face a fine. Chen Aiping, director of the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, said the local maritime authority is taking stronger steps to deal with foreign ship pollution in the future, at a news conference yesterday to announce launching of a week-long international navigation meeting that begins today.