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Autonomous ships are seen as the next generation of ships to meet sustainability challenges. While abundant studies have noted the potential of autonomous ships to be emission-free and reduce air pollution, research has paid scant attention to the significant uncertainties of the autonomous shipping that may lead to new environmental risks such as traffic incidents and oil spills. It is therefore necessary to assess the compatibility of the autonomous ships with international environmental laws and regulations. An analytical framework of international law on ship-source pollution has been proposed to contemplate such a legal assessment. Autonomous ships would challenge the relevant treaty provisions on preventing, combating and compensating for ship-source pollution and raise a number of new legal issues, resulting in a current lack of legal predictability and certainty. Only as autonomous ships become more widely tested, recognised and trusted will a robust roadmap for legalising MASS become clearer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The paper explores maritime environmental regulations, analyzing industry perspectives and their operational execution. It critically assesses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations' effectiveness in mitigating climate challenges within the shipping domain. The central argument is that the evolving and intricate nature of maritime regulations often impedes policy goal realization, enforcement, impact evaluation, and equity perception. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this research gathers, analyses, and interprets data via surveys and interviews. This exploration seeks to evaluate the regulations' impact on reducing shipping's negative impact, especially concerning emissions, waste management, and noise pollution, under the umbrella of smart regulations. The results indicate that the current regulatory approach is neither comprehensive nor immediate, necessitating a more agile, digitally enabled framework to adapt to fast-changing industry conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The strategic location of Malaysia along the world's busiest trade waterways underscores the need to cope ballast water issues for both domestic and international shipping. The adoption of Ballast Water Management Convention 2004 (BWMC) by the International Maritime Organization is suitable for management plans intended to prevent the introduction of invasive species through ballast water discharge. Malaysia has ratified the BWMC in September 2010 and the Convention has come into force in September 2017. However up to now, the BWMC has not been fully implemented by Malaysia for ships operating in its waters. This paper analyse the headway in implementing the provisions of the BWMC in Malaysia as well as the issues and challenges encountered for the implementation. The paper concludes that Malaysian government should promulgate laws and policies to clearly communicate on ballast water issues to the shipping industry communities., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed and vulnerable environment, deserves special attention regarding the risk of introducing Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens via ships' ballast water as new species findings occur at an alarming rate. This species introduction vector was addressed with the 2004 International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, which entered into force in 2017. The efficient implementation of this convention calls for Adriatic States' cooperation on environmental specifics that have not been dealt with neither by national nor by international measures yet. Based on legal and institutional data gathered, and considering the regional maritime traffic and environmental specifics, this paper reveals that the integration of current environmental law commitments as well as a better dialogue between public institutions from shipping and environmental sectors may foster the implementation of ballast water management obligations through appropriate Adriatic States' cooperation., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The transport and release of invasive organisms in ballast water has harmed ecosystems, economic activities and human health. Current US ballast water regulations intended to minimize the discharge of such organisms are based on results reported by a scientific advisory committee in 2011. Using the same methods, we re-analyzed the data evaluated by the committee as well as new data. We find that the committee's analysis was flawed, and that some treatment systems can meet limits that are 10 times (for zooplankton) or 1000 times (for phytoplankton) more stringent than the committee reported. These findings suggest that US ballast water standards, and similar standards in a recently ratified international agreement, should be re-evaluated., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In January 2011, fuel quality in inland water vessels was changed by EU regulation 2009/30/EC, aiming at improving air quality along waterways. We hypothesized that the implementation of this regulation both lowered the total deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and changed their composition in river valleys. We analyzed parent-, alkylated- and thio-PAHs in soil and vine leaves, at two waterways (Rhine and Moselle, Germany), as well as in one ship-free reference area (Ahr, Germany). Samples were taken annually (2010-2013) in transects perpendicular to the rivers. We did not find any relation of PAH concentration and composition on vine leaves to inland navigation, likely because atmospheric exchange processes distorted ship-specific accumulation patterns. We did find, however, an accumulation of ship-borne PAHs in topsoil near the waterways (1543±788 and 581±252ngg -1 at Moselle and Rhine, respectively), leading to larger PAH concentrations at the Moselle Valley than at the reference area (535±404ngg -1 ) prior to EU fuel regulation. After fuel regulation, the PAH concentrations decreased in topsoils of the Moselle and Rhine Valley by 35±9 and 62±28%, respectively. These changes were accompanied by increasing proportions of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and low molecular weight PAHs. Both, changes in PAH concentrations and composition were traceable within 200 and 350m distance to the river front of Moselle and Rhine, respectively, and likely favored by erosion of topsoil in vineyards. We conclude that the EU regulation was effective in improving soil and thus also air quality within only three years. The impact was greater and spatially more relevant at the Rhine, which may be attributed to the larger traffic volume of inland navigation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Approximately 9.5billiontonnes of goods is transported over the world oceans annually with dry bulk representing the largest cargo group. This paper aims to analyse whether the transport and associated inputs of dry bulks into the sea create a risk for the marine environment. For this purpose, we analyse the international regulatory background concerning environmental protection (MARPOL), estimate quantities and identify inputs of such cargoes into the oceans (accidental and operational), and use available information for hazard assessment. Annually, more than 2.15milliontonnes of dry bulk cargoes are likely to enter the oceans, of which 100,000tonnes are potentially harmful to the marine environment according to the definition included in draft maritime regulation. The assessment of the threat to the marine environment is hampered by a lack of available information on chemical composition, bioavailability and toxicity. Perspectives for amendments of the unsatisfying pollution prevention regulations are discussed., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The regulation on ship recycling at international and European Union (EU) level has transitioned from the realm of transboundary movement of wastes to a specialized regime, i.e., the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (2009) (Hong Kong Convention). Although this convention is not in force yet, the principal features of it have been incorporated in EU Regulation 1257/2013 on ship recycling. This paper examines the rationale behind developing a ship recycling regime, its disassociation from wastes, and the departure from the main principles of transboundary movement of wastes, such as the proximity principle, reduction of transboundary movement of wastes, and the prior informed consent procedure. While acknowledging some of the positive features of the emerging ship recycling, it is submitted that the Hong Kong Convention and EU Regulation 1257/2013 on ship recycling represent a step back in the regulation of ship recycling., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There are problems associated with dismantling vessels that have reached the end of their life, when pollution problems associated with the process need to be addressed. The first problem in "end-of-life vessels" (EOLV) is to define their legal frameworks. The second problem is their dismantlement for recycling of ships. In order to reduce the effects of pollution caused by EOLV dismantling, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Hong Kong Convention on 15 May 2009. While preparing for implementing the obligations under the Hong Kong Convention, China shall make effort on five aspects: (i) establish an ISRT for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships, (ii) improve the competitiveness of ship dismantling plants, (iii) strengthen international exchanges, (iv) amend the domestic laws and regulations, and (v) support from the China Classification Society., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is at present a growing concern, on an international level, over environmental offences caused by oil discharges into the sea from vessels. The objective of the Spanish Maritime Administration is to prevent the illegal discharges of polluting substances in Spanish maritime waters by vessels in transit. To combat such discharges, since 2007 Spain has reinforced its means of response with the use of aircrafts that provide services of maritime surveillance, identifying the Alleged Offending Vessels and acting as a deterrent. The objective of the present study is both to introduce the concept and to analyze certain aspects of the so-called "Alleged Offending Vessel" (AOV) that have been detected within Spanish Search and Rescue (SAR) jurisdiction waters in the period 2008-2012, in order to build a profile of such a vessel. For this purpose, an analysis methodology is formalized based on the GINI index and Lorenz curves, associated with certain aspects of vessels: type, flag and sailing area., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The English Channel is one of the world's busiest sea areas with intense shipping and port activity juxtaposed with recreation, communications and important conservation areas. Opportunities for marine renewable energy vie with existing activities for space. The current governance of the English Channel is reviewed and found to lack integration between countries, sectors, legislation and scientific research. Recent developments within the EU's marine management frameworks are significantly altering our approach to marine governance and this paper explores the implications of these new approaches to management of the English Channel. Existing mechanisms for cross-Channel science and potential benefits of an English Channel scale perspective are considered. In conclusion, current management practices are considered against the 12 Malawi Principles of the ecosystem approach resulting in proposals for enhancing governance of the region through science at the scale of the English Channel., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Since 2004, an international testing program has certified 53 shipboard treatment systems as meeting ballast water discharge standards, including limits on certain microbes to prevent the spread of human pathogens. We determined how frequently certification tests failed a minimum requirement for a meaningful evaluation, that the concentration of microbes in the untreated (control) discharge must exceed the regulatory limit for treated discharges. In 95% of cases where the result was accepted as evidence that the treatment system reduced microbes to below the regulatory limit, the discharge met the limit even without treatment. This shows that the certification program for ballast water treatment systems is dysfunctional in protecting human health. In nearly all cases, the treatment systems would have equally well "passed" these tests even if they had never been turned on. Protocols must require minimum concentrations of targeted microbes in test waters, reflecting the upper range of concentrations in waters where ships operate., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As human civilization is becoming more aware of the negative impact our actions can inflict upon the natural world, the intensification of fossil fuel extraction and industrial development is being met with increasing opposition. In Western Canada, proposals that would increase the volume of petroleum transported by pipelines and by tankers through the coastal waters of British Columbia have engaged the province in debate. To ease public concern on the risk of a coastal oil spill, there are additional commitments that involved parties could make. There is evidence to show that the practice of registering vessels under foreign flags of states that have exhibited failure in compliance with international obligations is more common amongst petroleum tankers that have been involved in large-scale oil spills. To prove that they are committed to reducing the risk of oil spills, businesses need to stop registering their vessels under flags of foreign, non-compliant states., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Alcohol is the leading contributor to boating deaths. Earlier literature estimates that 30-40% of people drink alcohol while boating., Objective: The objective of this study was to directly approach boaters at the dock to assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption while boating, as well as their knowledge of alcohol impairment., Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of boaters aged 21 years and older at Illinois lakes and rivers during July 2011. Participants completed a survey of alcohol use and impaired boating knowledge consisting of six multiple-choice questions. A χ(2) analysis was used to assess knowledge differences by demographic variables., Results: Two hundred and ten people participated. Less than one fourth of participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 knowledge questions. Eighty-four percent correctly reported the watercraft blood alcohol legal limit. Eighty-one percent erroneously believed that it was more dangerous for the driver to be intoxicated than the passenger. There were no differences in knowledge by sex, education, boat ownership, or driver status. Seventy-six percent admitted to drinking alcohol while boating. Younger participants (aged 21 to 40 years) were significantly more likely to report drinking while boating compared with older participants (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: A majority of participants imbibe while boating and with only a rudimentary understanding of the dangers. Designated drivers (for boating) campaigns might falsely imply imbibing-passenger safety. Public health officials should readdress the dangers of passenger drinking, especially with the younger age group, to help decrease alcohol-related morbidity and mortality., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from marine diesel engines pose a hazard to human health and the environment. From 2021, demanding emissions limits are expected to be applied to sea areas that the Royal Navy (RN) accesses. We analyze how these future constraints affect the choice of NOx abatement systems for RN ships, which are subject to more design constraints than civilian ships. A weighted matrix approach is used to facilitate a quantitative assessment. For most warships to be built soon after 2021 Lean Nitrogen Traps (LNT) in conjunction with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) represents a relatively achievable option with fewer drawbacks than other system types. Urea-selective catalytic reduction is likely to be most appropriate for ships that are built to civilian standards. The future technologies that are at an early stage of development are discussed., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One source of anthropogenic noise in the oceans which has attracted much concern is naval sonar. As a result of possible impacts of such sonar, several environmental NGOs have pursued legal cases in the United States criticizing environmental assessments conducted prior to exercises and proposed mitigation measures. Cases have been brought using the US National Environmental Protection Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Coastal Zone Management Act and other statutes. This paper reviews the chronology and results of these various cases. During the G.W. Bush presidential administration, the legal battle went to the US Supreme Court in the case Winter vs. Natural Resources Defense Council. This case however, did not address the potential impacts of sonar on cetaceans or the effectiveness of mitigation measures. During the Obama administration, mitigation measures for naval exercises have been revised, and working groups planned, in an attempt to resolve conflict between parties., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of sonar by military vessels during military exercises may produce acoustic pollution of the marine environment. States have an obligation under international law to reduce and control this form of pollution. Regulation of the use of sonar is rendered more complex by the specific regime applicable to warships, i.e. sovereign immunity. Immunity however does not prevent in all cases action by States other than the flag State, notwithstanding the limitations imposed by Art. 236 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. More importantly, immunity does not prevent the flag State from taking measures to reduce pollution caused by its own warships. Under some environmental treaties, flag States not only may, but have the obligation to adopt measures., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the results of a survey of the availability and uptake of port reception facilities within the North Sea area. The evaluation is based primarily on original survey data from the autumn of 2002 which followed on from a similar survey conducted in the summer of 2000. The EU Directive on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste etc. (Directive 2000/59/EC) was due to enter into force in December 2002, and required all EU ports to provide reception facilities to meet the needs of the vessels normally calling in at them. This paper examines the readiness of North Sea ports to meet that requirement and also considers the actual uptake levels of facilities, where ports were able to provide such information.