Maritime Law and International Conventions
What the law paper tests
You are expected to know which convention governs what, how certificates and surveys work, the flag and port State relationship, and the discharge and reporting obligations that apply at sea.
Core rules
- SOLAS covers construction, fire protection, life-saving appliances, radio and safety management (ISM Code with DOC and SMC). MARPOL has six annexes, and STCW sets training, certification and watchkeeping standards.
- MARPOL Annex I oily water: discharge overboard only through approved 15 ppm equipment, while proceeding en route, outside special areas and not within restricted zones; entries go in the Oil Record Book.
- MARPOL Annex VI: 0.50 percent sulphur globally, 0.10 percent in ECAs including the North Sea, with NOx tiers for new engines.
- UNCLOS sets maritime zones: territorial sea 12 nm, contiguous zone 24 nm, exclusive economic zone 200 nm, and the right of innocent passage.
- Load Line Convention: freeboards and zones; certificates must be endorsed after survey. Port State Control under the Paris MoU can detain for deficiencies.
- Salvage is governed by the 1989 Salvage Convention, with the no cure no pay principle and special compensation for environmental threat.
Worked example
A vessel must pump oily bilge water in the North Sea ECA. The checklist: the oil filtering equipment is approved and functioning, oil content at the outlet does not exceed 15 ppm, the vessel is proceeding en route, the operation is outside a special area or within permitted limits, and the operation is recorded with date, time, position and quantity. If any of those fail, the water stays inboard and goes ashore by tanker.
Traps that cost marks
- Mixing up annex numbers, particularly garbage (Annex V) and sewage (Annex IV).
- Assuming the 15 ppm limit applies anywhere and at any time, including at anchor.
- Confusing the DOC, held by the company, with the SMC, held by the ship.
- Quoting 0.10 percent sulphur worldwide instead of within ECAs.