Oil spill and regional co-opeartion on marine pollution preparedness and reseponse in the Northwest pacific - with special reference to NOWPAP Regional Contingency Plan

Abstract

The sea area of the far-eastern Asian countries – that is, Northwest Pacific region, was regarded as the area facing the highest risk of oil spill in the world. In fact, 16 major oil spills (greater than 1,000 tons), 115 intermediate spills (50 ~ 1,000 tons), and innumerable small spills (less than 50 tons) have been occurred in the area from 1990-2002. The four countries bordering the Northwest Pacific have developed effective measures for regional cooperation in marine pollution preparedness and response within the framework of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP), agreed in 1994 by the governments of China, Japan, R. Korea and Russia. They have developed the NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan and its Memorandum of Understanding, which will be a firm foundation in our strong partnership among NOWPAP Members in the relevant field. The present paper also introduces current activities of MERRAC as a new regional initiative on marine pollution preparedness and response in the NOWPAP region, together with analysis of oil spill risk in the region and regional preparedness and response system to oil spill, with a special reference to NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan..