Braden Fastier/Fairfax NZ
Container vessel ‘Maersk Jalan’ billows smoke into the atmosphere at Port Nelson while uploading containers back in May.
Port Nelson harbourmaster David Duncan said the port welcomed more than 800 vessel visits annually.
Duncan said while it had regulations in place to control marine pollution outside of the Resource Management Act, none were specifically targeted at the emissions from ships.
“There is nowhere currently in NZ legislation [that] this captured. However Port Nelson does monitor, and communicates to vessels, where we believe a discharge to air is excessive and expects issues to be remedied.”
Such occurrences were “very infrequent”, and any concerns had been promptly remedied, he said.
At a national level, the port also held regular discussions with the NZ Port Environmental Managers Forum.
Annex VI of the international agreement known as MARPOL covers the prevention of pollution from ships and came into force in 2005. However, New Zealand is not one of the 86 signatory nations.
Victoria University’s Dr Bevan Marten said in March the fact New Zealand was not a signatory, and its lack of action over air pollution from shipping, was “an international embarrassment.”
Marten said air quality monitoring in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington suggested shipping was a key source of sulphur dioxide emissions. The burning of bunker fuel oil was a significant source of nitrogen oxides and fine particulates, which were known to be carcinogenic.
Duncan was reluctant to say whether or not NZ signing onto Annex VI would be a worthwhile undertaking.
“We do not believe it appropriate to comment … as this requires considerable investigation, consultation and operational change within the Transport and Shipping Industry.”
A 2012 report estimated that 95 per cent of harmful emissions in New Zealand were generated by sources such as domestic fires, motor vehicles, industry and open burning.
Ministry of Transport’s Gavin Middleton said work has begun to assess the implications including the costs and benefits of signing up to Annex VI.
“We are in the early stages of planning, but note that advice to government will be informed by a formal engagement process with interested stakeholders.”
According to the Ministry of Transport’s website, in 2011 New Zealand domestic shipping was responsible for producing 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
NZ shipping pollution lawsallowed discharge of contaminants that is “incidental to, or derived from, or generated” during specified operations of a ship, including heat exchange systems
Air discharges from ship exhausts are permitted under the Resource Management Act 1991 and regional plans cannot make rules that restrict these discharges.
– Stuff