Maritime glossary · Marine Pollution Convention
MARPOL
The IMO convention preventing pollution from ships — oil, chemicals, garbage, sewage, air emissions, sulphur.
Definition
MARPOL — the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships — sets the rules under which ships must avoid polluting the marine environment. Its six annexes cover oil (Annex I), noxious liquid substances in bulk (II), harmful substances in packaged form (III), sewage (IV), garbage (V), and air pollution (VI). Annex VI is where the global sulphur cap (0.5% since 2020) and the new EEXI/CII carbon intensity rules sit. MARPOL is enforced by Port State Control.
How Vessel Hunter uses MARPOL
MARPOL-driven retrofits — scrubber installs, ballast water treatment systems, EEXI-driven engine power limiters — create commercial windows that Vessel Hunter flags to shipyards and service providers ahead of time.
Related terms
- PSCPort State Control
Inspections of foreign-flagged vessels in a port’s waters, run under regional MoUs to enforce international maritime conventions.
- SOLASSafety of Life at Sea
The principal IMO convention on the safety of merchant ships — covers construction, fire protection, life-saving, navigation, and more.
The bigger picture
MARPOL is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, port agents, and service providers. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship — so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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