India Decided to Join Nairobi Convention

The Union Cabinet of India on 4 November 2010 approved the proposal to accede to the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007.The Union Cabinet decided this to address the problems arising from the increasing number of ship wrecks. A ship wreck causes environmental hazards and poses threat to navigation safety of India. The Union Cabinet also decided to amend the Part XIII of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 to widen the scope of removal of ship wrecks and to facilitate the process of becoming the party of Nairobi Convention.

Important Information

On 16 May 2007, the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) held a conference in Nairobi (capital of Kenya) and adopted a final draft of a convention on wreck removal , which was called the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007. Nairobi Convention provides for strict liability, compulsory insurance and direct action in case any ship wreck takes place beyond the territorial sea of coastal states. Nairobi Convention intends to improve navigation safety and maritime security besides dealing with ship wreck. So far, 64 countries have adopted the convention

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 is aimed at to serve the Indian Mercantile interests. Part XIII of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 specify rules and regulations in case of ship wreck.
A Wreck, under the Nairobi International Convention is defined i)as a sunken or stranded ship or ii)any object that is lost at sea from a ship and that is stranded, sunken or adrift at sea or iii) a ship that is about to sink or strand.