What are MARPOL's main pollution prevention requirements?

• A. Passenger safety protocols only
• B. Oil pollution prevention; garbage and sewage dumping; waste management plans, oily water separators, ballast water management, and disposal procedures.
• C. Crew training and port inspections
• D. Cargo securing and stability compliance

Answer: (B)

MARPOL is the international treaty focused on preventing pollution from ships, and its main requirements cover how ships handle several pollution streams and the equipment and plans needed to prevent discharges. Specifically, ships must address oil pollution prevention, manage garbage and sewage in ways that limit or prohibit dumping at sea, implement waste management plans, and install and operate oily water separators. They also must manage ballast water to prevent the spread of invasive species and follow established disposal procedures. These elements together form MARPOL’s core pollution-prevention framework.

Areas like passenger safety protocols, while critical to maritime safety, fall under SOLAS rather than MARPOL. Similarly, crew training and port inspections, and cargo securing and stability requirements, are governed by SOLAS and other safety and stability regulations, not MARPOL’s pollution-prevention focus.