Mark has welcomed the UK Government’s move to begin a consultation into improving the regulation of potentially damaging ship to ship oil transfers around the UK.

The consultation follows a promise made by the Shipping Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, at the Second Reading of Mark’s Private Members Bill (the Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill) where the Minister promised to consult on legislation to regulate ship-to-ship transfers of cargoes of oil or other hazardous substances in United Kingdom waters. The move to improve regulation of marine oil transfers follows the controversy surrounding proposed ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth.

Ship to ship oil transfers have been proposed in the Moray Firth and other areas of the UK, and all these areas will benefit from more effective regulation of ship-to-ship transfers.

Mark said: “I am pleased to see the Government has fulfilled its commitment to consult on this matter and I hope organisations in Scotland will take the opportunity to contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and express their views on this issue” [details below via website link provided].

The regulations will deal with the issue of:

• which types of cargo are subject to regulation;
• where ship-to-ship transfers of such cargoes may or may not be carried out;
• what measures will apply in the interests of environmental protection.

The consultation closes on 7 July 2008.

Mark said: “This is an area where UK-wide legislation is necessary and I am pleased to see Ministers move to put the right laws in place to protection our marine environment and our wildlife. I hope these regulations will be placed before Parliament as soon as is possible following the conclusion of this consultation”. 

For details of the consultation, consult the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website here

The Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill

Mark’s bill was backed by RSPB Scotland, who have been particularly active campaigners on this issue, by Surfers Against Sewage, and by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  (RSPB press release welcoming Westminster action on transfers is available here)

Mark said: “There has been controversy surrounding proposed ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth but this issue is of concern throughout the UK. Ship to ship oil transfers have been proposed or carried out in the Moray Firth, in Cornwall, in Dorset, Devon and in Suffolk and all these areas will benefit from more effective regulation of ship-to-ship transfers.”

Background information on the ship-to-ship transfer campaign

Mark's Bill was designed to improve the regulation of potentially damaging ship to ship oil transfers around the UK.

This issue has been brought to prominence in Scotland recently by an application to carry out commercial ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth and the subsequent concern over a threat to wildlife in the area.

Recent moves in the Scottish Parliament have allowed the Scottish Government to scrutinise potentially damaging actions in sites protected for wildlife. Mark’s bill was designed to regulate ship-to-ship transfers more generally and introduce regulations that impose environmental constraints on the transfer of any hazardous material between ships in inshore UK waters.

RSPB welcome Westminster action on ship-to-ship transfers.

Mark’s bill, entitled the Environmental Protection (Transfers at Sea) Bill, received its formal presentation on Wednesday 5th December and was debated on 25th January 2008. This Bill has now been withdrawn.

Mark's visit to a seabird colony to highlight concerns about ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Forth, gained recent coverage on the BBC website here

Mark's opinion piece in the Edinburgh Evening News on the issue of ship-to-ship transfers is available here

News coverage of Mark's Bill - in the Edinburgh Evening News, on the BBC, in the Scotsman and in the Glasgow Herald.

For more information on the Forth Ship to ship proposal and the RSPB's work on it, click here