Hong Kong will add nine new categories to its definition of ”garbage from ships,” including food wastes, operational wastes, cooking oil, fishing gear and animal carcasses, as part of the new Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulation.
A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said that the IMO adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) to stipulate regulations which aim at preventing and minimising pollution from ships. The requirements governing pollution by garbage are set out in MARPOL Annex V.
The requirements of MARPOL Annex V were implemented in Hong Kong through the current Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulation enacted in 1995.
With the repeal of the existing regulation, the new regulation seeks to enact the latest international requirements governing discharge of garbage from ships as prescribed by the IMO.
“The discharge requirements under the New Regulation will also be tightened by prohibiting discharge of additional categories of garbage from ships into the sea. This will contribute to better protection of the marine environment,” the spokesman said.
In addition, the new regulation will set out new requirements for ships to display placards to notify the crew and passengers of the discharge requirements, and to maintain Garbage Management Plans and Garbage Record Books.
The repeal regulation and the new regulation will be introduced into the Legislative Council on April 15, 2015.