A three-day regional maritime workshop opens

A three-day regional capacity building workshop to promote compliance of the new Energy Efficiency Regulations for ships under Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, opened in Accra on Wednesday. The MARPOL Annex VI, first adopted in 1997, limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas, including sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances.

It also regulates shipboard incineration, and the emissions of volatile organic compounds from tankers. The workshop, organised by International Maritime Organisation (IMO), forms part of its Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme.

Eleven African countries, namely Ghana, Benin, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and South Africa are attending the workshop organised in collaboration with Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA).

It is aimed at reducing Green House Gas Emission from international shipping in West Africa. Mrs Joyce Mogtari, Deputy Minister of Transport, said the workshop which is centred on topical environment issues is crucial to the attainment of an adequately protected marine environment.

She noted that the IMO has put in place a number of measures to ensure that the environment is protected from all forms of pollutions especially ship source pollution. Mrs Mogtari said the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions have caused a lot of concern globally on Climate Change.

She said the outcome of the United Nations Climate Change intensive discussions and work at IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) Sessions, have focused more on the causes of Black Carbon Emissions from ships and how such emissions could be reduced through the appropriate regulatory regimes of member states. The Deputy Minister observed that the basis of the workshop is to enable participants to better appreciate the amendments which were made to MARPOL Annex VI particularly Regulations 23 of Chapter 4 of the Annex.

She announced that Ghana had ratified most of the major conventions of Marine Environment Protection including the MARPOL Convention which has six annexes. “Apart from ratifying these conventions the ministry with the assistance of GMA has consolidated them into a draft comprehensive bill commonly referred to as the Marine Pollution Bill for enactment purposes,” she added.

Mrs Mogtari said she expects that when the Bill is enacted a comprehensive Marine Pollution Act would be in place for the protection of the country’s marine environment from ships and related source pollution.

Mr Peter Issaka Azuma, Director General of GMA, said the main objectives of the event is to sensitise participants and provide detailed information on the MARPOL Annex VI, particularly with regards to its recent amendments and the responsibilities of contracting parties with regard to its implementation.

He said although air pollution from ships does not have the direct cause and effect associated with oil spillage, it causes a cumulative effect that contributes to the overall air quality and affects the marine environment.

Mr Azuma stated that the raising of temperature levels as a result of Green House Emissions and the associated effects in tidal levels, which could cause flooding of low lying coastal areas in countries like Ghana.

He said Annex VI of MARPOL therefore establishes limits on Nitrogen Oxides emissions and require the use of fuel with lower sulfur content to protect people’s health and the environment by reducing ozone -producing pollution and rising temperatures at sea.

Rear Admiral Muhammed Munir Tahiru (Rtd), who chaired the function, said the IMO has developed technical and operational energy efficiency measures to reduce the amount of carbon emissions from international shipping.

He said participants would receive practical information on the adoption, implementation and enforcement of the new regulations as well as address capacity building and technology transfer needs within the Member States of the West and Central Africa Region.

MEPC of the IMO in 2010 reiterated the requisition of the IMO Resolution Number A.963 (Regulation 23) relating to the control of GHG emissions from International Shipping to relevant international organisations on preparations for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.