Tag: marine environment

On the occasion of World Oceans Day on 8 June, AMSA reminded that marine litter presents a huge problem in our oceans. Plastic pollution results in harmful effects on marine life and biodiversity, as well as negative impacts on human health, tourism and fisheries.

The oceans are responsible for the air we breathe, the biggest part of the world’s biodiversity and for the world economy as we know it. Highlighting the importance of the world’s oceans, the 8th of June 2022 marks the UN World Ocean Day.

Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited pleaded guilty to knowing violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act related to the Motor Vessel Joanna.  

IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, addressed the threat of the major oil spill from the FSO SAFER – the aging supertanker moored of Yemen’s Red Sea Coast that could break apart or explode at any time.

How is the current landscape expected to evolve in the coming years with respect to underwater noise pollution?

While several landmark agreements have been put into force over the years to minimize the impact of shipping activity to the natural environment, the vast presence of shipping makes some of these impacts hard to eliminate. Shipping traffic has increased 300% in the past two decades, with some of the world’s busiest shipping routes overlapping with marine life habitats, according to WWF. What does this mean for marine ecosystems?

BIMCO, the largest of the international shipping associations representing shipowners, announced that is has joined the GloLitter Partnerships Project as a strategic partner.

During the "Our Ocean Conference" (OOC) in Palau, the EU renewed its pledges towards international Ocean governance, by presenting a list of 44 commitments for the 2020-2022 period for an amount of almost €1 billion.

UN entities and the private sector have joined forces to tackle sea-based marine plastic litter through the GloLitter Partnerships Project. 

A global ban on the dumping of sewage sludge at sea is a step closer, following the submission to IMO of a proposal to amend the 1996 London Protocol on the prevention of marine pollution by the dumping of wastes.