Liberia published a note on the regulations on discharges from ships in Chinese waters

Liberia Maritime Authority on 11 May published a marine advisory note on the regulations on discharges from ships in waters of the People’s Republic of China.

The purpose of this Marine Advisory is to inform Liberian vessels, shipowners, operators, and masters of the interpretation of distance from the 'nearest land' in standard GB 3552-2018: Discharge Standards for Water Pollutants from Ships issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, which came into effect on 1 July 2018 and replaced GB 3552-83.

Requirements

As China is a signatory state to the MARPOL Convention, Chinese regulations on the discharge of oil or oily mixtures, noxious liquid substances and sewage, and disposal of garbage is basically consistent with the regulations in the MARPOL Convention.

Distance from Nearest Land

The distance from 'nearest land' permitted for discharge shall be calculated from the baselines of the territorial sea published by the Government of the People's Republic of China, not from the distance of the ship to land.

For the coordinates of the baselines of the territorial sea published by the Government of the People's Republic of China, please refer to:

1. Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of 25 February 1992;
2. The coordinates provided in the Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the baselines of the territorial sea, 15 May 1996; and
3. Statement of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of Diaoyu Dao and its Affiliated Islands, 10 Oct 2012.

Other useful Links:

1. CCS & INTERTANKO Presentation: Discharge standard for water pollutants from ships
2. HUATAI INSURANCE: PNI/SPRO[2022]08 -- Regulations on Disposal of Food Wastes in Chinese Coasts and Loss Prevention Suggestions
3. Liberia Marine Operations Note: 05/2021: China Ports – Mandatory reporting and Port State Control

If you have any questions, please contact our Fleet Performance Department at Telephone: +1-703-790-3434 or by email at prevention@liscr.com.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Regulations on Discharges from Ships in Waters of the People’s Republic of China