Commercial marine shipping is inherently an international activity. As such, the industry requires regulation at the international level. International maritime regulations, also known as conventions, are developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships. The IMO is currently focused on trying to ensure that adopted conventions are properly implemented by signatory countries, including Canada. These signatory countries are then responsible for implementing and enforcing international conventions as their own national law.
The leading conventions developed by IMO are:
SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea), 1974: Concerns the safety of merchant ships. SOLAS regulations specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships.
International Convention on Load Lines, 1966: Limits the draught to which a ship may be loaded, taking into account the potential hazards present in different zones and different seasons for the crew’s safety.
Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), 1972: States the rules for navigating and preventing collisions at sea (vessel conduct, signals, etc.)
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978: Establishes basic requirements for training and certifying seafarers.
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), 1973, 1978: Concerns prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships. The latest regulation under the revised MARPOL Annex VI – called IMO 2020 – took effect on January 1, 2020 to limit the amount of sulphur permitted in commercial ship fuel to 0.5% for ships operating worldwide.
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