Academic Calls New Zealand's Status on MARPOL "Quite Embarrassing"

Victoria University of Wellington's Dr. Bevan Marten says New Zealand's failure to ratify MARPOL is "irresponsible."

Dr. Bevan Marten, a senior lecturer at the Law Faculty of Victoria University of Wellington, says "it’s quite embarrassing" that New Zealand is one of four countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that have not signed up to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

"New Zealand’s geographic isolation makes us vulnerable and with our international trading interests we need the government to take a strong and effective line when these issues are raised. Without having ratified Annex VI, New Zealand lacks a credible voice in these discussions," said Marten.

"To date our government policy has been that we’re just a small country with no international shipping fleet of our own so it doesn’t really matter, but this is disingenuous and irresponsible."

Marten says that, without New Zealand's ratification of MARPOL, the country could find itself without a credible voice at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) when future measures to reduce shipping's emissions are discussed and decided upon.

"We are saying that climate change is important, but any other country could turn around and ask why we haven’t signed up to this agreement," said Marten.

Pushing for the ratification of Annex VI to be made a priority at New Zealand's Ministry of Transport, Marten says that government action would show that air quality is an issue that is taken seriously.

"The move would have practical benefits—both in addressing the issue of clean air that is dear to New Zealanders’ hearts, and in giving New Zealand a stronger voice at the international level as the issue of air pollution becomes increasingly important at IMO," concluded Marten.