“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux

This CIEL issue brief examines the travaux préparatoires of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) to determine the meaning of the phrase "normal operations of a ship," specifically in the context of how it interacts with the Basel Convention's exclusion of wastes from such operations.

• The term "normal operations of a ship" was never formally defined by the parties during the drafting of MARPOL.
• The negotiators of MARPOL did not consider or address hazardous wastes produced by industrial operations or factories located on board vessels, nor did they discuss receiving facilities for the resulting chemical waste.
• Based on technical studies and negotiation records, "normal operations" were understood to include wastes arising from the ship's function as a vehicle and the needs of the crew, such as ballast, oil, fuel, lubricants, food waste, sewage, and garbage, as well as the transport of noxious chemicals.
• MARPOL was adopted on 2 November 1973 at the International Maritime Organization with the goal of protecting all the world's oceans from both intentional and accidental pollution from oil and other hazardous substances.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2012). “Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. “Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux. 2012. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux |date=26 June 2012 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2012normal, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{“Normal Operations of a Ship” in MARPOL: A Review of MARPOL's Travaux}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Marpol_26Jun2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }