What role does MARPOL play?

• MARPOL is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
• The commonwealth, state and territory governments have introduced rules and regulations that prohibit ships from polluting our waters. These rules are based on the provisions of MARPOL.
• The key objective of MARPOL is to protect our marine environment. MARPOL has introduced special measures designed to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
• The regulations focus on pollution that happens because of ship collisions or groundings but they also extend to waste released as part of a ship’s normal operation.
• You can check the discharge standards for ships and smaller vessels operating in Australian waters on the Australian Maritime Safety Authority website: http://www.amsa.gov.au/environment/legislation-and-prevention/maritime-discharges/discharges/index.asp.