Over 10 Years in Cyprus, 16 Ships Fined for Environmental Pollution

In Cyprus, over the past 10 years, fines have been imposed on 16 shipowners for oil pollution, illegal discharge of wastewater, and unauthorized ship cleaning without obtaining permission from the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA). In at least two cases, ships caused significant environmental pollution.

Such data is contained in the official response of Cyprus Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades to a written question from Deputy Haralambos Theopemptou regarding the handling of ship waste and the control exercised by the authorities.

The minister did not specify the amount of fines, but the document states that 11 incidents involved the port of Limassol, one involved the port of Vasiliko, and four involved the port of Larnaca.

The head of the Ministry of Transport also explained that the CPA does not have jurisdiction over marinas where a large number of leisure boats are moored.

According to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, when a vessel arrives at port, it must deliver its waste to a designated area for the collection of liquid and solid ship waste.

Facilities must be sufficient to meet the needs of vessels using them without unnecessary delays and to prevent pollution of ports and the marine environment as a whole.

During 2023, the CPA conducted several inspections in all port areas, some of which were carried out in cooperation with officials from the Department of Fisheries and the Deputy Ministry of Shipping.

Regular inspections are carried out on ships anchored for extended periods, on ships serving maritime ports, and on ships undertaking coastal cruises.