About Marine Environment Protection

Shipping accounts for around 90% of global trade, transporting cargo in the form of finished products, commodities, and supports international manufacturing. Ships of various types (container, bulk carriers, general cargo vessels, chemical tankers, oil tankers) as well as passenger ships like cruise liners and ferries, traverse the world’s waters in their thousands daily. These ships have impacts on the oceans and other water bodies, thus ships pollute the oceans in the form of garbage, oil spills, sludge, sewage, release of noxious gas substances and other pollution forms. 

The Gambia Maritime Administration, being the implementing body for the International Maritime Conventions in The Gambia, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS 1982), the International Convention on Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 1973), the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC 1990) etc. have a Marine Pollution Act in place that seeks to protect, mitigate and respond to marine pollution threats and incidents in Gambian waters. The Act have provisions for the major International Conventions on Marine Pollution such as MARPOL Annexes 1 to 6. 

The Administration has also worked with partners and developed a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, after The Gambia became party to OPRC 1990, as required. The plan seeks to address the threat of oil spills adequately preparing and responding to oil spill incidents in The Gambia. 

The Marine Pollution Act 2013 has specified the powers and jurisdictions of The Gambia under with respect to UNCLOS.  Thus, The Government through GMA shall take measures to prevent activities that take place in The Gambia do not cause damage by pollution to other states. The Gambia under the Marine Pollution Act is obligated to refrain from unjustifiable interference with the activities of other states in pursuance of their duties under UNCLOS. The MPA 2013 also requires the state to protect and preserve rare fragile ecosystems, threatened, endangered, or depleted species, and other forms of marine life.