Mediterranean Sea Special Area

For recognized technical reasons in relation to this sea area's oceanographical and ecological conditions and to the particular character of its traffic, this area requires special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution by oil and garbage.

Species of Concern: Multiple

Restrictions

• A ship of 400 gross tons or over and any oil tanker may not discharge oil or oily mixture within a special area. In the Antarctic area, discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixture from any ship is prohibited.
• A ship of less than 400 gross tons other than an oil tanker may not discharge oil or oily mixture within a special area, unless the oil content of the effluent without dilution does not exceed 15 parts per million (ppm).
• All ships operating in the Antarctic area must have on board a tank or tanks of sufficient capacity to retain all oily mixtures while operating in the area and arrangements made to discharge oily mixtures at a reception facility outside the Antarctic area.
• No discharge into the sea shall contain chemicals or other substances introduced for the purpose of circumventing the conditions of discharge specified in this section.
• The oily mixtures that cannot be discharged into the sea in compliance with paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section shall be retained on board or discharged to reception facilities.

Mixtures of garbage having discharge requirements other than those listed in the allowed section must be:
• Retained on board for later disposal ashore; or
• Discharged in accordance with the more stringent requirement as outlined in the Allowed section.

Allowed

• Discharge of clean or segregated ballast is allowed.
• The restrictions on ships of 400 gross tons or over and on oily discharge in the Antarctic do not apply to the discharge of processed bilge water from machinery space bilges, provided that all of the following conditions are satisfied:
  (1) The bilge water does not originate from cargo pump room bilges;
  (2) The bilge water is not mixed with oil cargo residues;
  (3) The ship is proceeding enroute;
  (4) The oil content of the effluent without dilution does not exceed 15 ppm;
  (5) The ship has in operation oily-water separating equipment complying with part 155 of this chapter; and
  (6) The oily-water separating equipment is equipped with a device that stops the discharge automatically when the oil content of the effluent exceeds 15 ppm.

Food wastes shall only be discharged while the ship is en route and
• As far as practicable from the nearest land or nearest ice shelf, but not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or nearest ice shelf;
• After having been processed with a grinder or comminuter; and
• Not contaminated by any other garbage type.
• The discharge of introduced avian products, including poultry and poultry parts, is not permitted in the Antarctic area unless it has been treated to be made sterile.

Cargo residues that cannot be recovered using commonly available methods for unloading may be discharged where all the following conditions are satisfied:
• The cargo residues, cleaning agents or additives contained in the cargo hold washing water do not contain any substances that are harmful to the marine environment.
• Both the port of departure and the next port of destination must be within the special area and the ship will not transit outside of the special area when moving between those ports.
No adequate reception facilities are available at those ports.
• When the three conditions immediately above have been fulfilled, discharge of cargo hold washing water containing residues shall be made as far as practicable from the nearest land or the nearest ice shelf and not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or the nearest ice shelf.