Maritime environment consists of oceans, seas, bays, estuaries and other water bodies used by shipping industry. As designated by the International Maritime Organization which is a United Nations Arm, the Maritime day 2021 observes the vital role of seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, on this day we should like to appreciate the hard-work of seafarers, agencies and organizations that work in maritime transport, maritime ecology protection and maritime safety. With both national and international organizations coordinating these tasks, the maritime industry and the personnel were on the forefront in delivering essential goods such as food, medicine and coal during the pandemic. Hence the theme is “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future”. Also, it underlines the importance of marine security, safety and marine environment.

International Organizations – International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Key Conventions

The international maritime organization is primarily concerned with maritime safety, protection of maritime environment, coast management and other maritime related issues. It also assists countries with building the required human and institutional capacity for the effective management of shipping and sustainability in the industry. The following is a list of conventions that were asserted in order to prevent maritime pollution.

OILPOL ConventionAdopted measures to control and prevent pollution caused by maritime operations and accidents
MARPOL ConventionPrevention of pollution by oil, chemicals, garbage, sewage and air pollution by emissions from ships 
BMW Convention Prevent spread of harmful aquatic organisms carried by ship’s ballast water
Hong Kong ConventionRecycling of ships in a safe and environmentally friendly manner
London ConventionFeasible methods to prevent marine pollution due to waste and other matter disposals 

However, the IMO is compromised and unable to deal with the issues of concern such as Climate Change due to the small countries seats being taken over by the shipping industry. The shipping industry releases as much Green House Gases as half of the coal power plants in the USA and also releases pollution into the oceans in ways which are not adequately monitored.

Sri Lankan Maritime Organization Liason – Merchant Shipping Secretariat

The Director General of merchant shipping secretariat of Sri Lanka oversees all matter related to seafaring such as ensuring safety lives and property at sea, providing maritime education, training, certification, registration of ships under Sri Lankan flag, overlooking container and freight operations and implementing rules and guidelines as per IMO.

With the shipping industries growth in the recent times, the number of vessels in service has increased exponentially due to demand in China and South-East Asia. As a result there is a rising  umber of ships being passing close by to Sri Lanka.
With emerging technologies maritime transport has risen to new levels of Eco-friendly and efficient transportation. And it is not surprising in such a huge industry that accidents would happen. Oil leaks, chemical discharges, on-board fires and explosions are main accidents that sailing vessels face. The discharges from these events lead to maritime ecological and coastal damages. Sri Lanka experienced several of these accidents this year.
However, Sri Lanka has not signed on to several of these conventions and is not able to bring the resources to bear to attend to large shipping accidents.

Xpress Disaster – Learning Lessons for Maritime Day

Sri Lanka’s worst maritime disaster to date happened in May 2021. The Xpress Pearl cargo ship that was carrying toxic substances and plastic items, exploded and sank into the ocean. Few days afterward the consequences were apparent with dead animals’ corpses and plastic nurdles appearing on the coasts nearby. Apart from the tangible evidence of damage, immense air pollution was created. For more information see: https://fect.lk/did-xpress-pearl-fires-affect-colombos-air-quality/2021/08/16/ . The damage to the marine and coastal environment by these sort of disasters are assessed by marine and coastal protection agencies.

Marine and coastal protection agencies in Sri Lanka

The key agency employing marine environment protection in Sri Lanka is the Marine Environment
Protection Agency (MEPA). MEPA was established in 1991 and operates under the care of Ministry of urban development, coast conservation, waste disposal and community cleanliness. MEPA’s work includes providing awareness of the marine environment through research, carrying out public awareness programs, coordinating with regional and international organizations to prompt actions. Thus their mission is : “A healthy coastal and ocean environment for future generations.”
The national institution mandated to protect the coast is the Coast conservation and coastal resource management department (CCD). Due to the popularization of coastal areas as a result of fishing industry, tourism and maritime events massive damage has come upon the coastal and marine environments. CCD stands to ensure the sustainability of coastal resources by improving coastal environment status, managing the shoreline, improving the living conditions of the coastal population and promoting economic growth through the use of coastal resources.
Sri Lanka has a half dozen large ports with Colombo being the biggest – these ports have been contentious with key sections being handed over to the Chinese government owned companies and another section promised to India. A port was constructed in Hambantota but due to its debt crisis, sri Lanka handed over the port and adjacent land to a Chinese owned company. The national infrastructure has not kept pace.

Marine Industry – A Sri Lankan Ship Builders

People around the Indian Ocean have been sea-faring going back tens of thousands of years. The islands across the Indian Ocean have been populated by different waves of people from South-East Asia, South Asia and Africa.
Sri Lanka has a long-indigenous history of building sea-faring craft. Even the word “catarmaran” comes out of the regional sea faring. Sri Lanka’s Ocean position is prime and under the Law of the sea has access to a 200 km of ocean from the surrounding continental shelf. However, the shipping industry in Sri Lanka is in its doldrums and fisheries are restricted to artisanal fishing. Fisheries communities are not doing well for themselves or the local economy.
One company that demonstrates technological advance is The Hairu Naval Craft Engineering (Pvt.) Limited is a leading maritime vessel manufacturing company in Palamunai, Sri Lanka that started manufacturing in 2011. Production of these vessels commences in a 32,000 square feet facility that uses state-of-the-art technology and design. Hairu Naval Craft company has only been successful by leveraging contracts with African, Middle East, East Asia and South-Asian regions.

Authors: Lareef Zubair, Tharushi Ekanayake