Napoli provokes calls for global shipping changes
Access to information on ships’ cargo needs to be improved on a global scale according to emergency planners involved with the Napoli.
In the wake of the Napoli incident, response teams want governments to push the International Maritime Organisation (I.M.O) to change protocol regarding the information on ships’ manifests. They want more detailed information about a ship’s cargo to be available more quickly.
Emergency planning officer for Devon County Council and the co-ordinator of Sidmouth’s silver response cell, Simon Wilkins said: “It was difficult for us all to get information on what was on the vessel because they [the ship] don’t have to report it until they’re coming so far away from the port they’re entering… We didn’t know what was on board, it was being drip fed to us”
On his return from an EROCIPS (Emergency Response to coastal Oil, Chemical and Inert Pollution from Shipping) conference in Spain last week, Mr Wilkins said: “Through our debrief process we’ll inform national governments that this is an issue and work with other partners across Europe to lobby to get it changed… We have to do that through the IMO – it has be done in a global way”