GAC China launched a new specialist service to help ship owners comply with stringent new anti-pollution regulations that come into force at the country’s ports on March 1, 2012. Under the China Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) rules, owners and operators of vessels carrying any cargo deemed to represent a potential pollution risk in Chinese territorial waters must work with a Government-approved Ship Pollution Response Organisation (SPRO) to establish and implement a detailed Ship Pollution Response Regime before entering, leaving or starting operations in port.
As part of its Owners’ Protective Agency service package in mainland China, GAC has set up a Pollution Control Services team composed of master mariners to help guide ship owners and operators through the new measures, liaising with SPROs to ensure full compliance and smooth operations at ports from Dalian in the north-east down to southern China. This way, the GAC team cuts the red tape owners have to deal with when directly engaging and dealing with the SPRO, as they handle the entire process from start to finish for every call.
Claus Schensema, GAC China’s Managing Director, says: “This pioneering new service endorses our commitment to easing the way for owners, charterers and receivers operating in the country, both by helping to reduce the risk of pollution and by working to reduce time in port and associated costs.”
The Pollution Control Service is available, upon appointment, as part of a broad range of shipping services that GAC can provide at Chinese ports.