UN gives SA coastline extra protection
Publish date: 18 July 2008
Issue Number: 2113
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Environmental
Almost half the SA coastline will enjoy extra legal protection from oil pollution next month when a new 'special area' is declared by the UN, a Cape Times report says. The internationally-protected area stretches from Lamberts Bay on the Cape West Coast all the way to East London.
As from 1 August, it will become an offence for any oil tankers and other large ships to clean out their cargo or 'slops' tanks, or to dump oily-wastes in the special area. The extra legal protection for the southern coastline was approved two years ago by the London-based International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which regulates global shipping and marine pollution on behalf of the UN. According to the SA submission to IMO, about 1 400 ships sail through the area every month, including more than 200 oil tankers which carry more than 203m tons of oil each year. Full Cape Times report (subscription needed)
