Defiling the oceans

Orrisa Post , Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Correspondent :
Marine pollution threatens the entire oceanic ecosystem — both aquatic creatures as well as humans

We all know that the Ganges is the country’s lifeline, a sacred river of the Hindus, but also the second-most polluted river in the world, as per researchers at The Ocean Cleanup – a Dutch foundation developing new technologies for ridding the oceans of plastic. Plastic dumped in rivers and ending up in the world’s oceans are becoming a major source of marine pollution. Moreover, Asian countries are the biggest contributors when it comes to polluting the waterways.

China’s Yangtze River is in the top position when it comes to polluting the water bodies; dumping approximately 333,000 tonne of plastic into the East China Sea every year. Meanwhile, the Ganges is responsible for 115,000 tonne of plastic output.

Oceans play an important role for life on earth. It provides over 70 per cent of the oxygen we breathe and over 97 per cent of the world’s water supply. Instead of utilising the natural treasure, the ocean is always under attack from natural sources and manmade pollution. Pollution not only affects marine life and environment but also mankind.

The deposition of toxic chemicals are dumped either from industrial sources or they flow naturally into the rivers and streams that results in polluting the water bodies.

Chemicals such as oil, mercury, lead, pesticides and other heavy metals can all be found within the ocean and can contaminate water supplies and our food chain by affecting marine life. If humans are exposed to these toxic chemicals for a long period, it could result in dangerous health problems, which include hormonal issues, reproductive issues, and damage to our nervous systems and kidneys.

Oceans play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change by serving as a major heat and carbon sink. Oceans also bear the brunt of climate change, as evidenced by growing acidification, sea level increase, and changes in temperature and currents, all of which in turn impact the health of marine species, ecosystems, and coastal communities.

Before making an in-depth analysis as to how ocean pollution affects aquatic creatures and humans, it is important to know what ocean pollution is and what are the factors behind it.

In a layman terms, marine pollution can be defined as anything that contaminates the sea. Common marine pollutants include chemicals, small plastic beads in exfoliants and also toxic bio-matter (such as sewage). Pollution can vary depending on the context and the purpose for which seawater is being used.

Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa, sheds light on how ocean pollution affects aquatic creatures and humans. “Oceans are fundamental to the health of our planet – the very lifeblood of the earth’s ecosystem. To survive and prosper, mankind needs a harmonious relationship with the planet’s oceans. The disposal of pollutants from industrial sources which include asbestos, lead, mercury, nitrates, petrochemicals, phosphates and oil are the major causes of ocean pollution,” he says.

“This occurs when excess water from rain or flooding flows over the land and into the ocean thereby polluting the ocean. Crude oil is toxic to marine life and is extremely difficult to clean up,” he says.

“Chemicals such as pesticides, lead and other heavy metals found in polluted water can contaminate water supplies and food chains through marine life thereby affecting humans. That can give rise to many problems like hormonal complications, reproductive problems and nervous system damage. These bacteria turn metals like mercury into the most toxic form (methyl mercury) which is then absorbed by the plankton, making its way up the food chain and then served in our plate,” adds the secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa.

Eminent scientist Chitta Ranjan Mishra says that nearly after half a century’s research scientists have finally gained the knowledge of how much plastic enters the open oceans every year. Scientists have also come up with a new way to measure ocean trash.

“The findings are part of a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science that for the first time quantifies how much garbage flows into the world’s oceans every year. Earlier, efforts to measure ocean debris have involved sample counts of plastic floating on the surface in large garbage patches,” he says.

The scientist explains: “Every year, the world’s rivers deposit between 1.15 and 2.41 million tonne of plastic waste into the ocean: Grocery bags and shampoo bottles, plastic straws and microplastics make their way into the sea via riverine systems, hugely impacting marine life. However, in rapidly developing economies like India, a rise in the middle class population has meant a higher level of consumption – and plastic waste generation – but this is not matched by infrastructure to manage the waste.”

Dump waste not

Marine pollution refers to the emptying of chemicals or other particles into the ocean and its harmful effects.

To control marine pollution and regulate the use of the world’s oceans by individual states, the nations of the world have come together to form two major conventions: One on dumping of waste at sea and the other laying down rights and responsibilities of nations in the use of the oceans and their resources.

Convention and its nitty-gritty

An inter-governmental conference on the convention on the dumping of waste at sea met in London in November 1972 to adopt this instrument, the London convention.

The convention has a global character and is aimed at international control and putting an end to marine pollution. The definition of dumping under the convention relates to deliberate disposal at sea of waste or other materials from vessels, aircraft, platforms and other man-made structures or disposal of the vessels or platforms themselves.

Certain important amendments were adopted by the convention at various times to deal with the emerging issues in the context of dumping of waste in the oceans.

The 1978 amendment came into effect March 11, 1979, dealing with the incineration of waste at sea. Another set of amendments adopted at the same time (October 1978) related to the introduction of new procedures for dispute settlement.

The 1980 amendment became effective May 19, 1990. They give the procedures to be followed when permits are issued for special dumping. They state that permits must be issued only after considering whether there is enough of scientific information available to gauge the impact of dumping.

The 1993 amendments, effective from February 20, 1994, banned dumping of low-level radioactive waste into the seas. They phased out the dumping of industrial waste by December 31, 1995, and called for an end to incineration of industrial waste at sea.

It is to be noted that dumping of low-level radioactive and industrial waste as well as incineration of waste were earlier permitted by the convention. But attitudes towards dumping have changed over the years and these have been reflected consistently in the amendments adopted. The changing approach, keeping in view the need of the times, led to the adoption of the 1996 protocol November 7, 1996.

The 1996 protocol, which became effective March 24, 2006, replaced the 1972 convention. It shows the major change in approach among the nations regarding the use of the sea as a place for dumping of waste materials.

The 1996 protocol is much more restrictive as compared to the 1972 convention that allowed dumping provided certain conditions were satisfied, the conditions varying depending on the magnitude of danger of the materials to the environment, even while blacklisting some materials from being dumped at all.

Article 3 of the protocol calls for appropriate preventive measures to be taken when waste or other matter thrown into the sea are likely to cause harm “even when there is no conclusive evidence to prove a cause relation between inputs and their effects.”

The article states that “the polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution”. The contracting parties must ensure that the protocol does not simply result in pollution being transferred from one part of the environment to another.

Article 4 prohibits the contracting parties from dumping “wastes or any other matter with the exception of those listed in annex 1”. This annex includes dredged material; sewage sludge; fish waste or material resulting from industrial fish processing operations; vessels and platforms or other man-made structures at sea; inert, inorganic geological material; organic material of natural origin; and bulky items like iron, steel, concrete and other similar unharmful materials for which the concern is mainly physical impact and it is limited to those circumstances and where such wastes are generated in small islands with isolated peoples who have no access to other proper disposal options.

Exceptions to the above are contained in article 8 which allows dumping “in cases of force majeure caused by stress of weather, or in any case which constitutes a danger to human life or a real threat to vessels…”

Article 5 prohibits incineration of wastes at sea (permitted by the 1972 convention but prohibited under the 1993 amendments).

Article 6 states that “contracting parties shall not allow the export of wastes or other matter to other countries for dumping or incineration at sea”. This reflects concern in recent years regarding export of wastes which cannot be dumped at sea under the 1972 convention to non-contracting parties.

Article 9 calls upon the parties to designate an appropriate authority to issue permits in accordance with the protocol.

Article 11 explains the compliance procedures which states that, no later than two years after the coming into effect of the protocol, the “meeting of contracting parties shall establish those procedures and mechanisms necessary to assess and promote compliance…”

Article 16 contains procedures for settling disputes.

Article 26 allows for a transitional period which enables contracting parties to phase in compliance with the convention over a five-year period. There are extended technical assistance provisions in this regard.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is responsible for secretariat duties with respect to the protocol. The protocol has three annexes in all, two of them concerned with assessment of waste and arbitral procedures.

Amendments to the articles shall come into force on the 60th day after two-thirds of contracting parties shall have deposited an instrument of acceptance of the amendment with the IMO. Amendments to the annexes are adopted through a tacit acceptance procedure and they will be enforced not later than 100 days after being adopted. The amendments are binding on all contracting parties except those who have clearly stated their non-acceptance.

The 2006 amendments to the protocol, adopted November 2, 2006, the amendments were enforced February 10, 2007. The amendments allow the dumping of carbon dioxide streams only when it is done into a sub-seabed geological formation; the streams have an overwhelming carbon dioxide content (they may also have incidental associated substances got from the source material and capture and sequestration processes used); and waste or other matter are not added when disposing them.

The amendments allow storage of carbon dioxide (co2) under the seabed but regulate the sequestration of co2 streams from co2 capture processes in sub-seabed geological formations. Parties agreed that guidance for conducting it should be developed within the earliest time possible.

The amendments have created a basis in international environment law to regulate carbon capture and storage in sub-sealed geological formation in order to ensure their permanent isolation. It is part of the measures being considered to address climate change and ocean acidification like developing low carbon energy forms especially for sources of enormous co2 emissions (power plants, steel factories and cement works).

The United Nations convention on law of the sea or UNCLOS is an international agreement that defines the rights and responsibilities of nations where use of the oceans’ waters by them is concerned. It was a result of the third UN convention (conference) on law of the sea which was held from 1972 to 1982 and replaced four 1958 treaties. The UNCLOS specifies guidelines for businesses, the environment and management of marine natural resources.

The UNCLOS came into force in 1994. In 1993, Guyana became the 60th state to sign the treaty. As of today, it has been signed by 155 countries and the European community. The USA has signed the treaty but its senate is yet to ratify it.

The UN secretary general receives instruments of ratification and accession. The UN provides support for convention meetings. However, the UN does not have a direct part in the implementation of the convention. But organisations like the International Maritime Organisation and the International Whaling Commission have a role to play.

The UNCLOS details a comprehensive regime of law and order in the seas and oceans of the world and lays down rules to govern use of the oceans and their resources. The full text of the convention has 320 articles and nine annexes which deal with aspects like delimitation, control of environmental pollution, marine scientific research, economic and commercial activities in the seas, technology transfer and settlement of disputes between states with reference to ocean matters.

 
SOURCE : https://www.orissapost.com/defiling-the-oceans/
 


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