102 



One of the major international negotiating efforts underway at tliis time, 

 wiiich includes concern for marine i)ollution, is the preparatory work for the 

 Conference on the Law of the Sea. Strong concern for the conservation and 

 preservation of the marine environment was exiiressed at the recent session in 

 New Yorl-c of the United Nations Seal)ed Committee. Several draft articles were 

 submitted and considered at this meeting and it is expecteil that the work in 

 this area at the up<'oming Geneva session of the Seabed Committee will he 

 focused on further debate on these draft articles. The major thrust of the United 

 States positidu at the New York meeting in March centered on international 

 standards for vessel pollution in the areas heyond territorial seas and in straits 

 used for international navigation. This ai)proach was welcomed by States with 

 maritime fleets and not welcomed by States with other interests. It was ol»vious 

 that all States needed to give careful attention to tliis area in preparing for the 

 summer Law of the Sea session at Geneva. 



The New York meeting of the Seabed Committee did tentatively agree to two 

 draft articles. One holds that States have the obligation to protect and preserve 

 the marine environment in accordance with the provisions of articles yet to he 

 developed. The other holds that States shall guard against the effect of merely 

 transferring marine pollution damage from one marine area to another. To 

 sununarize. perhaps too simply, a good deal of international discussion and 

 negotiation remains to be done in the Law of the Sea context on marine 

 pollution. 



Another very vital intergovernmental activity to control marine pollution is 

 the work of IMCO which is concerned with shipping and controlling pollution 

 from commercial shipping activities. Over the years, IMCO has moved from an 

 organization of shipping interests to one of interests in all aspects of .shipping, 

 including the ship owner, the seaman, and the other people who also make use 

 of and enjoy the seas. 



The first major step involving IMCO toward control of marine pollution from 

 •shipping was the 1954 Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea 

 by Oil. This Convention's principal objective was the protection of amenities 

 from oil pollution which was adopted by proscribing certain "prohibited zones"' 

 extending to at least 50 miles from the nearest land within which the discharge 

 of oil or oily mixture was not permitted. In 1962, amendments to the 1954 

 Convention extended its application to a broader range of ship sizes and ex- 

 tended the zones in which the discharge of oil was prohibited. In 1969, amend- 

 ments limited the quantity of oil that a tanker coiild discharge seaward of the 

 prohibited zones. Amendments in 1971 were adopted regarding the limitation of 

 the size of cargo oil tanks. IMCO will convene in October of this year a con- 

 ference for the purpose of preparing a more comprehensive international agree- 

 ment to prevent and control pollution by ships or other equipment operating 

 in the marine environment. The main objective of this conference will be the 

 complete elimination of intentional oil discharge and minimizing spillage of oil 

 and other noxious substances as a result of accidents. 



The "Torrey Canyon" disaster of 1967 brought to light the need for interna- 

 tional law regarding coastal States' rights to protect their coastline In 1969. 

 the International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in 

 Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties affirmed the right of a coastal State to take 

 certain measures on the high seas necessary to prevent, mitigate or eliminate 

 danger to its coastline from pollution of oil, or of the threat thereof following 

 a maritime casualty. At the present time, nine of the required fifteen States 

 have ratified this Convention. 



A second issue stemming from the Torrey Canyon incident is i-elated to the 

 ship or cargo owner's liability for damage suffered by States or other persons 

 as a result of a marine casualty involving oil pollution. The 1969 Convention 

 on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage placed certain liability on the 

 owner of the ship transporting the oil. Such liability will not exceed $14 million. 

 This inadequate limitation, as viewetl by some, gave rise to the development of 

 a Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation 

 for Oil Pollution Damage, which was opened for signatuie in 1971. This fund 

 was establislied for the compensation of victims of pollution damage inade- 

 quately dealt witli under the 1969 Liability Convention and for relieving ship 

 owners of added financial responsibility. 



I would like to now dii-ect attention to the work being done in our cooperative 

 programs with other countries, the third item. I mentioned in the very early 

 portion of my testimony. During the most recent mojiths, our bilateral work 

 with the Soviet T'nion has receivetl more attention than any other bilateral 

 cooperative program. 



