Isle of Man: 2025 MARPOL discharge rules for Red Sea & Gulf of Aden

The Isle of Man Ship Registry issued Technical Advisory Notice 006-24 with guidance for ship operators regarding new environmental protection rules under MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) that take effect on January 1, 2025, in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These areas are now designated as Special Areas under MARPOL Annexes I and V, and stricter discharge requirements will apply for oil, oily mixtures, and garbage.

Key Provisions of MARPOL Annex I (Oil and Oily Mixtures)

Starting January 1, 2025, the following regulations will apply to all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Special Areas:

• Discharge of Oil and Oily Mixtures:
  • Prohibition: Ships are prohibited from discharging oil or oily mixtures into the sea unless specific conditions are met.
  • Conditions for Discharge:
    • The ship must be enroute: Discharge is only permitted when the ship is actively moving toward a destination.
    • Oil filtering equipment: Any discharge must be processed through an oil filtering system that meets the standards set by MARPOL regulation 14.7, ensuring that the oil content of the discharge is no more than 15 parts per million (ppm).
    • Source restrictions: The oily mixture must not originate from the cargo pump-room