Disasters at Sea & Their Impact on Shipping Regulation
the last 75 years that stand out in terms of their significance in helping to force, and forge, international agreement on safety, liability and environmental controls, essentially reshaping the marine landscape. The top five on virtually everyone’s list includes: • The Torrey Canyon oil spill off French and Cornish coasts in 1967, which led to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships (MARPOL) in 1973, and is credited with moving the IMO into environmental and legal issues with the Civil Liability Convention of 1969. Activated in 1975, that
Places of Refuge
to provide, upon a valid force majeure request by a ship master, a place of refuge were lost as a result of two unrelated but nearly contemporaneous events: first, the development and deployment of reliable long-range helicopters for maritime rescue purposes; and second, the grounding of the tanker TORREY CANYON in international waters off the southwest coast of England. The Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard helicopter entered into service in 1962. With a speed of 98 miles per hour, a range of 474 miles, the ability to carry up to ten passengers, and the ability to land on and take off from water
February 2025
