Environmental Group Says New Polar Code is Not Enough to Protect Antarctic Environment from Shipping

The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition said that ships should be banned completely from dumping sewage overboard in Antarctic waters.

The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) added provisions for the Polar Code are not adequately protecting the Antarctic environment from shipping, environmental group Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) has argued in an emailed statement.

The IMO adopted Part II of the Polar Code earlier this month, with goals said to include addressing the issue of ships discharging oil, chemicals, and sewage while at sea.

"While ASOC welcomes the adoption of Part II of the Polar Code on pollution prevention and that Arctic waters will now receive the same protection as already in place for Antarctica, we remain extremely disappointed that the International Maritime Organization has missed a unique opportunity to improve protection of Antarctic waters", said Sian Prior, shipping advisor to the organization.

The coalition argued that vessels should be banned completely from dumping raw sewage overboard, with staff aboard trained on how to prevent the introduction of alien species into the environment and how to deal with minor oil spills. 

Under the newly adopted provisions, ships will still be allowed to discharge sewage 12 nautical miles away from land, and there is no specific language addressing alien species or oil spill response, said ASOC. 

The additions do provide global guidelines on hull fouling and ballast water, however. 

Both parts of the code are expected to take effect beginning 2017. 

The first part of the Polar Code was approved by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 67) late last year, with the aim of preventing environmental pollution in sensitive Arctic and Antarctic waters.