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Marine Pollution BtIIlelin
He went on to refer to the latest action programme adopted by the Council of Ministers which lays down a "whole range of possibilities and prospects which need to be tackled if we are going to succeed in producing a durable environment." Among the many items of the third programme which could be of specific interest to CONCAWE were action against air pollution, better management of waste, and the environmental management of the Mediterranean and North Seas, he said. He added that C O N C A W E ' s own change of description to the "oil companies' organization for environmental and health protection" was indicative of a worldwide shift of thinking, a recognition that environmental protection is "inevitable and essential if one is to develop a sane approach to the management of our resources and the evolution of a better standard and a better quality of life for ourselves and for the future."
Lawyers Talk Environmental impacts, including those on fish stocks from coastal industries, were the subject of a one-day 'Environmental Law and Practice' Seminar in Vancouver, organized by the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C., on 22 October 1983. Participants included environmental consultancy and government scientists, practising and student lawyers, and judges. Essentially participants were provided with details on how solicitors and barristers should alert industrial clients to potential fisheries impacts, among others, at time of land acquisition, and how to handle permit applications, public inquiries, charges, litigation and sentencing arguments in association with technical experts. The substantial differences between U.S. and Canadian practice were outlined by Professor R. E. Lutz, Southwestern University, School of Law, Los Angeles, and some specifics were noted by participants in various cases. Essentially Canadian practice is less strictly regulated than U.S. The dialogue between lawyers and scientists was informative, particularly as some active cases were discussed in this non-public forum. DEREK ELLIS
International Protection for 'Migrators' Migratory marine animal life has now got additional protection - thanks to a new international agreement. The Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals has passed its final hurdle and recently come into force. The C o n v e n t i o n - an agreement to protect migratory wild animals including endangered marine species like the blue w h a l e - was first concluded in 1979 but could not operate until 15 states or groups of states had formally ratified it. Italy recently joined 14 other countries who have already acceded to the Convention, and so it has now finally come into force. The agreement will help to protect endangered animals which have no fixed abode but migrate across national boundaries. The efforts of all the states concerned are therefore vital if the animals' conservation is to be ensured.
Similarly the Convention will help species not actually endangered but which soon could be if their safety or freedom of movement were set at risk. Marine species such as the beluga or white whale, the dugong and the saltwater crocodile will benefit particularly in this way. The fifteen initial members of the Convention are the EEC plus Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Niger, Portugal and Sweden.
Sea Space Watch Plan A joint report from the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council suggests that Britain takes a lead in developing the study of ocean currents and climate, using satellites equipped with high-accuracy radar altimetry. The idea was described in N e w Scientist magazine by Tony Laughton, the director of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences as being " o f enormous strategic significance to scientific research". Data provided by altimetry enables the height of the sea itself to be measured with an accuracy of several centimetres and also provide information on regional variations in the earth's gravitation field, influencing the height of the sea, the nature of tides, ocean currents and weather patterns.
Round-the-World News Mediterranean In the first six months of 1983, there were seven oil spill incidents recorded by the Regional Oil Combating Centre (ROCC) for the Mediterranean Sea. The largest spill occurred off the Greek islands Lemos and Samothraki as a result of an illegal discharge by an unknown tanker of an estimated 200 t of oil. Other incidents included a tanker collision with a pier in Porto Marghera, Italy, and a spill from a ruptured pipeline at Ashdod, Israel. ROCC reports that the sources of five slicks were unidentified but it was hoped that with the entering into force of Marpol 73/78 the number of such unidentified slicks should decrease.
Singapore Up to 1000 tons of oil is believed to have spilled from three ruptured cargo tanks following the grounding of the Greek tanker Monemvasia in the South China Sea off Singapore. A slick 7 km long formed after the accident but the greater part of the vessel's 120000 ton cargo of crude oil was successfully offloaded to another tanker.
Israel Israel is to help finance its Marine Anti-Pollution by levying a tax on all vessels using the country's ports, and coastal oil terminals. Oil tankers will pay the highest fees, based on cargo tonnage carried, but other cargo vessels will also be taxed. The scheme is expected to raise $600 000 a year to help pay for oil spill clean-ups, and the purchase of new oil recovery equipment.
He went on to refer to the latest action programme adopted by the Council of Ministers which lays down a "whole range of possibilities and prospects which need to be tackled if we are going to succeed in producing a durable environment." Among the many items of the third programme which could be of specific interest to CONCAWE were action against air pollution, better management of waste, and the environmental management of the Mediterranean and North Seas, he said. He added that C O N C A W E ' s own change of description to the "oil companies' organization for environmental and health protection" was indicative of a worldwide shift of thinking, a recognition that environmental protection is "inevitable and essential if one is to develop a sane approach to the management of our resources and the evolution of a better standard and a better quality of life for ourselves and for the future."
Lawyers Talk Environmental impacts, including those on fish stocks from coastal industries, were the subject of a one-day 'Environmental Law and Practice' Seminar in Vancouver, organized by the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C., on 22 October 1983. Participants included environmental consultancy and government scientists, practising and student lawyers, and judges. Essentially participants were provided with details on how solicitors and barristers should alert industrial clients to potential fisheries impacts, among others, at time of land acquisition, and how to handle permit applications, public inquiries, charges, litigation and sentencing arguments in association with technical experts. The substantial differences between U.S. and Canadian practice were outlined by Professor R. E. Lutz, Southwestern University, School of Law, Los Angeles, and some specifics were noted by participants in various cases. Essentially Canadian practice is less strictly regulated than U.S. The dialogue between lawyers and scientists was informative, particularly as some active cases were discussed in this non-public forum. DEREK ELLIS
International Protection for 'Migrators' Migratory marine animal life has now got additional protection - thanks to a new international agreement. The Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals has passed its final hurdle and recently come into force. The C o n v e n t i o n - an agreement to protect migratory wild animals including endangered marine species like the blue w h a l e - was first concluded in 1979 but could not operate until 15 states or groups of states had formally ratified it. Italy recently joined 14 other countries who have already acceded to the Convention, and so it has now finally come into force. The agreement will help to protect endangered animals which have no fixed abode but migrate across national boundaries. The efforts of all the states concerned are therefore vital if the animals' conservation is to be ensured.
Similarly the Convention will help species not actually endangered but which soon could be if their safety or freedom of movement were set at risk. Marine species such as the beluga or white whale, the dugong and the saltwater crocodile will benefit particularly in this way. The fifteen initial members of the Convention are the EEC plus Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Niger, Portugal and Sweden.
Sea Space Watch Plan A joint report from the United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council suggests that Britain takes a lead in developing the study of ocean currents and climate, using satellites equipped with high-accuracy radar altimetry. The idea was described in N e w Scientist magazine by Tony Laughton, the director of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences as being " o f enormous strategic significance to scientific research". Data provided by altimetry enables the height of the sea itself to be measured with an accuracy of several centimetres and also provide information on regional variations in the earth's gravitation field, influencing the height of the sea, the nature of tides, ocean currents and weather patterns.
Round-the-World News Mediterranean In the first six months of 1983, there were seven oil spill incidents recorded by the Regional Oil Combating Centre (ROCC) for the Mediterranean Sea. The largest spill occurred off the Greek islands Lemos and Samothraki as a result of an illegal discharge by an unknown tanker of an estimated 200 t of oil. Other incidents included a tanker collision with a pier in Porto Marghera, Italy, and a spill from a ruptured pipeline at Ashdod, Israel. ROCC reports that the sources of five slicks were unidentified but it was hoped that with the entering into force of Marpol 73/78 the number of such unidentified slicks should decrease.
Singapore Up to 1000 tons of oil is believed to have spilled from three ruptured cargo tanks following the grounding of the Greek tanker Monemvasia in the South China Sea off Singapore. A slick 7 km long formed after the accident but the greater part of the vessel's 120000 ton cargo of crude oil was successfully offloaded to another tanker.
Israel Israel is to help finance its Marine Anti-Pollution by levying a tax on all vessels using the country's ports, and coastal oil terminals. Oil tankers will pay the highest fees, based on cargo tonnage carried, but other cargo vessels will also be taxed. The scheme is expected to raise $600 000 a year to help pay for oil spill clean-ups, and the purchase of new oil recovery equipment.