JEAIL > Volume 9(1); 2016 > Articles
Research Paper
Published online: May 30, 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2016.9.1.04

Legal Framework on the Marine Environment Protection of Straits used for International Navigation: Has It Been Effective in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore?

Hazmi Rusli & R. Dremliuga & Wan I. Talaat
Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia,
1800 Bandar Baru Nilai, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Corresponding Author: hazmirusli@usim.edu.my

ⓒ Copyright YIJUN Institute of International Law
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

There are approximately 116 straits used for international navigation around the world. Some of them are important international maritime chokepoints, namely the Dover Strait, Hormuz Strait, Straits of Malacca and Singapore and the Russian straits across the Northeast Arctic Passage. Due to the high number of navigational traffic going through these straits, vessel-source pollution is endemic in these waters. This article examines the applicable international legal framework on protection of the marine environment of straits used for international navigation such as Part XII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other related legal measures like International Maritime Organization conventions on protection of the marine environment. This article concludes by stating that the present framework is not sufficient in properly balancing two vital interests in the maritime world – protection of the marine environment vis-à-vis shipping.

Keywords : UNCLOS, Straits used for International Navigation, Shipping, Marine Environment, Marine Pollution, International Legal Framework

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