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Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
NGO urges stronger UN maritime laws at ocean conference
T'puram: Representatives from the city-based ocean conservation NGO, Friends of Marine Life (FML), attended a five-day United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. They raised concerns about the pollution faced by the Arabian Sea following two shipping disasters near the state's coast. The sinking of MSC Elsa 3 caused immense pollution along the southern coast, while MV Wan Hai, which caught fire off Kozhikode, carried several chemical cargoes onboard. In a presentation, the NGO stated that international maritime laws are inadequate to identify and penalise those responsible, as demonstrated by the situation in Kerala. They urged the UN to establish laws to penalise either the manufacturing company or the transporting company if plastic or chemical waste ends up in the ocean. "This is important because the lives of fisherfolk depend on the ocean's health. Strong regulation would help protect marine habitats, marine life and communities relying on the sea by holding responsible parties accountable. We put this message across at the conference attended by delegates and govt representatives from across the world," said Robert Panipilla of FML, who attended the conference along with research scholar Kumar Sahayaraju. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo It was one of the discussions about the challenges faced by Small Scale Fishing (SSF) related to Blue Economy interventions around the world. The discussion was organised by the British Columbia University, Canada. The NGO also took part in a discussion on the challenges faced by small scale fishing and Blue Economy interventions around the world. FML represents the coastal community, comprising largely of small scale fisherfolk and conducts seabed studies and ocean conservation activities. The fisheries and environmental ministers from Costa Rica, Senegal, Madagascar and Germany attended the discussion. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Shipping disasters off Kerala coast highlighted at UN ocean meet in Nice
The two recent shipping disasters off the Kerala coast and issues related to the resultant environmental pollution were highlighted at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) by a Thiruvananthapuram-based organisation on Wednesday. UNOC-3 is under way at the French city of Nice. Kumar Sahayaraju of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Friends of Marine Life (FML) presented the issue at the Ocean Base Camp, an open space for civil society organisations. Mr. Sahayaraju said the two accidents, involving large container vessels, had caused severe pollution in the sea and on the Kerala coast. These two incidents, according to him, spotlighted the fact that the current maritime laws were inadequate to deal with the fallout of such disasters. 'Responsibility must lie either with the producers of these hazardous materials or with the shipping companies that transport them. Accountability must be enforced under stronger maritime laws, with clear legal consequences for violations,' Mr. Sahayaraju said. The FML, which is represented at the UNOC by Mr. Sahayaraju and the organisation's founder Robert Panipilla, also demanded that tracking devices for locating hazardous cargo in the event of an accident be made mandatory for all such cargo container shipments. In his presentation, Mr. Sahayaraju urged the United Nations to urgently establish and enforce international regulations governing the maritime transport of chemical and plastic pollutants. The Liberia-flagged MSC Elsa 3 sank off Kochi in May. The Singapore-flagged M.V. Wan Hai 503 caught fire after a massive explosion off Beypore in June. At the UN conference, the FML, which is involved in seabed studies and ocean conservation activities, appealed for urgent international action to protect marine ecosystems and coastal communities whose survival depends on them.
