From 1 September 2021, ship owners and operators calling at ports in Sierra Leone risk penalties of up to USD 15,000 if they carry fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5%, as BIMCO urged.
In fact, enforcement, compliance and monitoring of the IMO 2020 Sulphur limit fall under Regulations to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
It states that nations that have ratified MARPOL and acceded to Annex VI are obliged to give effect to and enforce the provisions of the regulation.
Port states must therefore enforce the provisions of MARPOL by monitoring vessels within their territorial waters and reporting non-compliance to the relevant flag state. This reporting ensures that adequate amounts of compliant low-sulphur fuel are available within their jurisdiction and provides shore-based facilities for the receipt and removal of scrubber waste.
….BIMCO noted.
Against this background, the Sierra Leone Ports Authority, in consultation with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, consented to implement this important international member state mandate in July 2021.
It is also important to note that Sierra Leone is 18 months behind the global mandate to implement the IMO 2020 statutory instrument. In view of the above, the Sierra Leone Ports Authority will serve as the consulting government agency to implement IMO 2020. Furthermore, the Port Authority will undertake a joint implementation of the regulation, together with a competent institution for efficiency and standardisation.
