Beijing, July 19: Pollution in the oceans is a significant concern for both developed and developing nations worldwide, and China is no exception. The country’s maritime safety authorities have reported that rising economic activity, coupled with a lack of effective environmental regulations, is leading to severe pollution in its waters.
According to a report by the Catholic missionary group, Asia News, data from China’s Ministry of Communications indicates that approximately 1.8 billion tons of goods were transported via maritime routes last year. Notably, around 90% of China’s imported crude oil, totaling about 110 million tons, was shipped by sea.
The rapid increase in maritime transport, combined with insufficient legal frameworks, has resulted in a rise in oil spill incidents. Between 1973 and 2003, over 2,350 oil spills were recorded along China’s coastal areas, averaging one spill every 4.6 days. Many of these incidents posed significant threats to the country’s environment.
On April 4 of this year, the Portuguese oil tanker ‘Artega’, carrying around 120,000 tons of crude oil from Yemen, ran aground near the Dalian port in Liaoning province after colliding with a rock.
As reported by Asia News, on July 2, a Chinese oil tanker collided with a Malaysian-registered vessel carrying 3,800 tons of diesel fuel at Dalian Port. This accident resulted in oil leaking into the sea, prompting numerous boats and helicopters to work for several days to mitigate the environmental impact.
In December of last year, two container ships from Panama and Yemen collided south of Hong Kong at the Pearl River estuary, causing a leak of 1,200 tons of oil into the ocean. The emergency response for this incident incurred costs of 120 million yuan (approximately 14.5 million USD).
Although China is a participant in the International Fund Convention for oil pollution, which provides financial compensation for damages from such accidents, this coverage only applies to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Consequently, damages from oil pollution elsewhere in China are not covered by the fund.
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