China’s Ministry of Transportation (MOT) has decided to abolish the regulation which requires ocean-going vessels to dispose of any garbage on board before departure from Chinese ports.
The decision modifies the regulation entitled “Provisions of Peoples’ Republic of China on Administration on Prevention of Marine Environmental Pollution Caused by Ships and Their Related Operating Activities” , effective December 13, 2016, according to information provided by Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service.
One of the revisions made to the above regulation is that sludge and garbage disposal would no longer be mandatory for ships before they leave Chinese ports, including all ports within Bohai area.
Under the regulation, which came into effect on February 1, 2011, international navigating vessels were obliged to dispose of pollutants on board before departing the country’s ports. Ships needed to present a valid pollutant disposal certificate to China’s Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) when dealing with port departure formalities.
In 2013, the MSA released a notice in which it was decided that vessels are allowed to choose their port of convenience in order to avoid ships having to dispose of pollutants and pay relevant fees repeatedly when calling at more than one Chinese port in one voyage. However, this didn’t apply to ports within Bohai Bay, where vessels still needed to dispose of sludge and garbage on board before departure.