A passenger cruise ship leaving Otago. All passenger ships such as this must comply with MARPOL regulations.

Maritime NZ: clean shipping operations key if NZ is to prosper.

Preventing pollution in the seas around New Zealand is vital for the country’s economic prosperity and national wellbeing, according to Maritime New Zealand.

Kirstie Hewlett, director and Chief Executive of Maritime NZ, says that with 99.7 per cent of New Zealand’s trade by volume coming and going by sea it is crucial that shipping operations to-and-from – and around – the country are clean and sustainable.

“We are an island nation at the end of the world’s supply chains that is reliant on the shipping sector for the products and raw materials we buy, sell, and depend on,” she says. “For those supply chains to operate effectively, they need to be not only safe, secure and sustainable but also clean.

“Ships that pollute are typically also ships that breakdown and don’t get their cargo into supply chains on time. As New Zealanders, we have a strong cultural connection with the natural world, so the social licence for that industry is affected greatly by its impact on our marine environments.

With this year’s World Maritime Day (WMD) focusing on the legacy of a major international convention that regulates shipping sector pollution, Hewlett is using the occasion to highlight Maritime NZ’s commitment to clean shipping.

The theme for WMD is MARPOL at 50: Our Commitment Goes On. MARPOL, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, was established 50 years ago and oversees a set of annexes that regulate pollution from the international shipping sector. It was established after the super tanker Torrey Canyon ran aground in 1967, spilling an estimated 94-164 million litres of crude oil off the coast of the United Kingdom.

One of Maritime NZ’s roles is to regulate and enforce MARPOL in New Zealand’s waters and Hewlett says MARPOL has a strong legacy of international engagement and collaboration that has significantly reduced pollution from the maritime sector.

A bulk carrier ship coming into Napier port. More than 1000 ships visit NZ every year.

That includes a 90 per cent reduction in oil spills since 1967, over a period when oil volume and ship traffic has greatly increased. But there are new challenges ahead for shaping a clean shipping sector.

Among them is the level of carbon emissions from vessels and the amount of plastic in the oceans: “Plastic is a big and growing problem because, at current rates, the amount is expected to outweigh all the fish in the (global) sea by 2050, with direct and deadly effect on all marine wildlife and, ultimately, our way of life.

“Not only is that having a disastrous effect on ecosystems, but it could ultimately have negative impacts on New Zealand’s fisheries and tourism sectors as well.”

Hewlett says while MARPOL regulations impose complete bans on the disposal of any form of plastic from ships, there is still a need for increased compliance and enforcement.

New Zealand waters are busy – more than 1000 ships (international, coastal and cruise vessels) ply New Zealand waters every year, making 5270 port visits. About one in five Kiwis owns a boat, or other form of recreational craft, and two in three live within 5km of a coast.

New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone encompasses an area around the country 15 times the size of its landmass. Research has found parts of the coast to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars as natural capital assets, and the fishing and seafood sectors generate more than $2.1b towards NZ’s GDP and employ around 13,500 people annually, – so Hewlett says the economic zone’s significance is clear.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) estimates that shipping vessels account for 3.1 per cent of global carbon emissions per year and, while Hewlett believes this has stabilised, she says the sector’s contribution to fighting climate change is a great challenge.

Maritime New Zealand Director and Chief Executive Kirstie Hewlett.

To that end, IMO member states have pledged to reduce emissions from international shipping to net-zero by 2050 and to ensure uptake of alternative zero or near zero greenhouse gas (GHG) fuels by 2030.

“Some of Maritime NZ’s roles are to ensure the sector meets those international obligations here in New Zealand and that we are working with industry to prepare for technological advancements,” she says. “As shipping moves to cleaner fuels to reach net zero, we need to ensure those ships can refuel here.

“Some of the questions we will need to answer include how do we supply hydrogen, ammonia or enough renewable electricity at ports in New Zealand? If ships can’t refuel here, companies will continue to send the old oil-fueled ships until that’s no longer feasible and they stop coming altogether.

“In New Zealand we have targets to support zero emissions in small passenger, coastal fishing and recreational vessels – and all new large passenger, cargo and offshore fishing vessels must meet the highest carbon-intensity reduction set by IMO,” Hewlett says.

“Prioritising designs that use cleaner fuels (such as hydrogen and electricity), lighter materials and more advanced operations solutions will be necessary to move the industry toward a more sustainable future.”

Hewlett adds that MARPOL has led to many good outcomes – minimising the discharging and spilling of noxious liquids, garbage and other harmful substances. This, she says, demonstrates that MARPOL can be used to meet the challenges ahead.

“One of the key outcomes that guides our activity is clean seas and waterways that preserve our environment for future generations. We work towards that by minimising the impact marine activity has on the natural environment through prevention and response,” Hewlett says. “In doing that we hope our legacy is a safe, secure, clean and sustainable maritime domain.”

For more information go to: maritimenz.govt.nz/about-us/what-we-do/why-maritime-matters-to-nz