In this speech, I am going to
briefly explain the concepts of SOLAS and MARPOL. It will be easier to tackle
both terms one by one so that everyone can understand their concepts. First of
all, I would like to talk about SOLAS. SOLAS stands for the Safety of Life at
Sea. It is a fact that in the maritime industry, the most important thing is
safety. This safety is not only relevant to the safety of personnel involved in
this industry but also the safety of marine life by making sure that humans are
not polluting the seas. The International conventions for safeguarding human
life and marine environment have come up with two important conventions; which
are SOLAS and MARPOL. The SOLAS convention is an international maritime treaty,
which has been made to make sure that safety measures are taken while handling
the operations, construction, and equipment of merchant ships. The last adopted
convention was approved in 1974, and it has elaborated so many important
regulations in this regard. A variety of safety procedures along with safety
precautions are explained in this convention. The modern shipping industry is a
huge one with so many elements to look at, and that’s why it was critical to
have such rules and regulations to make this industry a safe and secure one for
everyone, who is involved in any given processes. There is a total of 13
chapters of the SOLAS convention, which was approved in 1974. Every chapter is
dealing with different dynamics of the industry to ensure safety norms and safe
operations in the best possible manner.
The second major part of this speech
is MARPOL, and here I would try to explain what MARPOL is, and what it’s most
important elements are. First of all, it is vital to know that MARPOL is the
abbreviation of “The International Convention for Prevention of Marine
Pollution for Ships”. SOLAS and MARPOL are very much the same in their basic
ideas; it is just their factors, which are different from one another. MARPOL
is another crucial concept related to the safety of the marine environment
against the pollution generated by the shipping industry. The major purpose of
MARPOL deals with the prevention of pollution-related to marine environment.
The ships being operated in the maritime industry can cause a lot of pollution,
and it can be operational or even accidental, but in any case, the marine
environment remains at risk from this pollution. This particular convention for
the safety of the marine environment was approved in 1973, and it was
immediately adopted. It is vital to mention here that some accidents were
recorded in 1976-77 with regards to tankers so a new protocol was added in
1978. A new protocol with more changes in the convention was adopted in 1997.
There are different kinds of annex added in the convention of MARPOL, and one of
the latest annexes was adopted in 2005. So, the SOLAS convention has different
chapters to explain the terms for ensuring safety, and MARPOL is having annexes
to deal with the safety of the marine environment. Every Annex has covered a
variety of elements like Annex I deals with the regulations, which are
associated with the pollution which is produced by Oil.
So, this is all I have to explain in
brief about SOLAS and MARPOL. Now, in the last portion of my speech, I would
like to explain why both conventions are important, and why the maritime
industry should follow the guidelines and regulations given by these
conventions.
We have all heard about the incident
of Titanic, and it would be interesting for you to know that SOALS was first
initiated in 1914 after the incident of Titanic. It raised questions on the
existing processes, and more advanced knowledge and processes were needed to
ensure safety at sea life. So, it is evident to say that SOALS is relevant to
the safety of people’s lives that are associated with the shipping and maritime
industry. If there will be no safety measures, and if companies will not follow
certain guidelines, then life at sea will be in danger. It is critical for all
the stakeholders to understand the importance of showing compliance with the
safety measures and guidelines provided by the convention of SOLAS. There is
nothing more important than human life, and companies’ operating in this
business should understand this reality. They cannot ignore the regulations of
the SOLAS convention because these are developed for their safety and
betterment. If they will comply with these rules and regulations, it will
benefit them in the long term perspective. A major accident can cause a lot of
financial and physical damages for a shipping company, but if they comply with
the SOLAS convention, then they can avoid so many potential issues and threats.
The same is the case with MARPOL,
and it is also important for the shipping and maritime industry. The companies
involved in the maritime and shipping business should realize the fact that if
they use seas and oceans for their business purposes, then they should show
responsibility by protecting marine life and the environment. They have no
right to get their own benefits at the cost of marine life. They cannot justify
any actions which are playing their part in increasing pollution in the marine
environment. The issue with the marine pollution is that there is a large area
of seas, which are not controlled and handled by any country, and shipping
companies also know this fact, which means that they don’t take this matter too
seriously. However, it is their social responsibility to show compliance with
the rules and regulations of the MARPOL convention. It will also help them to
work more efficiently, but they will also play a positive part in safeguarding
the marine environment and marine life.
At the end of this speech, I would
like to say that SOLAS and MARPOL are amazing conventions related to the safety
of life and the environment at sea. The humans don’t often think about these
concepts, but both conventions will help people to understand the importance of
safety measures taken at sea life.