You are master of a 350 GT near-coastal cargo vessel. The engine room bilge is filling and you are 8nm offshore. Can you discharge bilge water overboard and under what conditions?

A. MARPOL Annex I bilge water discharge — small vessel rules: MARPOL Annex I Regulation 15 covers machinery space bilge water. For vessels of 400 GT and above: bilge water may be discharged overboard only if: (a) outside Special Areas; (b) more than 12nm from the nearest land; (c) vessel is en route (not at anchor or in port); (d) oil content does not exceed 15 ppm (monitored by approved OCM); (e) Oil Record Book entry made. For vessels BETWEEN 400 GT and 400 GT (your vessel at 350 GT): MARPOL Annex I Regulation 15.2 applies a different regime — vessels of less than 400 GT must retain oil residues and bilge water on board or deliver to port reception facilities. There is no 15 ppm discharge provision for vessels under 400 GT outside special areas. PRACTICAL IMPLICATION: your 350 GT vessel CANNOT legally discharge bilge water overboard at 8nm. Options: (a) Pump to the bilge holding tank; (b) Continue to port and discharge to reception facilities; (c) If flooding emergency — it may be necessary, but this is a distress provision only.

B. Any vessel can discharge bilge water beyond 3nm from shore. MARPOL only applies to vessels over 1000 GT.

C. Discharge is permitted at 8nm as long as the bilge water is mixed with sea water to reduce the oil content below 50 ppm.

D. MARPOL does not apply within territorial waters (12nm). Beyond 12nm, all bilge water discharge by any vessel is unrestricted.

A. MARPOL Annex V (as amended 2013) — garbage discharge: (a) FOOD WASTE: may be discharged in territorial sea (>3nm from nearest land) or in special areas (>12nm from nearest land) only when comminuted or ground (passed through 25mm mesh) and the vessel is en route. Outside special areas and >12nm from land: food waste may be discharged without comminution provided it does not create a floating debris hazard; (b) PLASTIC — ALL FORMS: completely prohibited for overboard discharge in all ocean areas. This includes synthetic fishing nets, plastic bags, plastic packaging of any kind. No minimum distance applies — plastic NEVER goes overboard; (c) PAPER, RAGS, GLASS, METAL, CROCKERY: prohibited within 12nm from nearest land; permitted (outside special areas) beyond 12nm from land. IN THIS SCENARIO: food scraps at 15nm — permitted with caution (outside special area, >12nm, en route). Plastic — ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED at any distance. Paper — permitted at 15nm in non-special areas. A Garbage Management Plan (for vessels 100 GT+) must be carried and followed.

B. Food scraps and paper can always be discharged more than 3nm offshore. Plastics can only be discharged if they are biodegradable.

C. MARPOL Annex V only applies to commercial vessels over 5000 GT. Small near-coastal vessels are exempt from all garbage regulations.

D. All waste can be discharged at more than 12nm offshore — this is the MARPOL Annex V general limit for all waste types.

A. MARPOL Annex VI — Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA): MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 14 sets sulphur limits for fuel oil: (1) OUTSIDE ECAs: global sulphur cap of 0.50% m/m (since January 2020 — the "IMO 2020" global sulphur cap); (2) INSIDE ECAs (SECA): sulphur limit of 0.10% m/m (since January 2015). ECAs include: North Sea (including English Channel), Baltic Sea, North American ECA, US Caribbean ECA. ACTION REQUIRED: BEFORE entering the North Sea SECA — switch to compliant fuel (LSMGO — Low Sulphur Marine Gas Oil, or ULSFO — Ultra-Low Sulphur Fuel Oil at 0.10% or below). PROCEDURE: (a) Begin fuel changeover before ECA entry (typically 30-60nm before, to flush the fuel system); (b) Record fuel changeover in the logbook and/or Engine Room Log Book — note time, position, fuel line content; (c) BAPLIE or Bunker Delivery Note for compliant fuel must be carried. PENALTY: vessels burning non-compliant fuel in an ECA face prosecution; ship masters and companies have been fined and imprisoned in some jurisdictions.

B. The North Sea ECA only restricts sulphur for vessels over 10,000 GT. Your near-coastal vessel at <500 GT is exempt from ECA sulphur requirements.

C. Switch to compliant fuel on entry to the ECA. There is no requirement to begin changeover before the ECA boundary.

D. MARPOL Annex VI sulphur requirements are voluntary guidelines, not legally enforceable requirements in UK waters.