Global  Trends  in  Ship-Sourced  Marine  Pollution

15

Table  2  lists  the  ten  countries  where  ITOPF  has  attended  spills  most  frequently  In  the  past  ten  years.  China
Is  where  ITOPF  have  attended  most  spills,  because  of  the  vast  coastline,  busy  shipping  and  many  busy
ports  and  harbours.  In  addition,  China  has  experienced  substantial  economic  growth  resulting  In  Increased
export  and  Imports  of  oil  and  consumer  goods.  Japan  and  the  UK  are  Island  nations  and  have  a  large  maritime ­
  Import  and  export  sectors,  with  many  ships  trading,  contributing  to  the  Increased  risk  of  an  Incident
occurring.

Country
China
Japan
United  Kingdom
South  Korea
USA
Spain
France
Egypt
Brazil
Greece

Incidents
23
12
12
11
10
09
09
08
07
06

Table  2:  Top  ten  countries  of  ITOPF  attended  spills  In  the  period  2000-2010

Conclusions
The  downward  trend  In  oil  spills  Is  a  very  positive  sign  that  both  governments  and  the  shipping  Industry
have  taken  significant  steps  In  Improving  safety  and  reducing  the  risk  of  an  Incident  occurring.  However,
there  Is  no  room  for  complacency  and  Incidents  will  continue  to  occur  In  the  future.  Whilst  prevention  of
spills  should  be  of  the  highest  priority,  there  needs  to  remain  a  high  level  of  preparedness.  When  dealing
with  Incidents  actual  past  experience  of  managing  such  complex  situations  Is  Invaluable.  However,  with  the
decline  In  the  number  of  Incidents  worldwide,  Inevitably  means  that  those  responsible  for  oil  spill  response
gain  less  hands  on  experience.  Consequently  It  remains  vital  that  contingency  plans  are  kept  up  to  date
and  regular  exercises  are  held  to  train  responders  and  test  emergency  procedures.  This,  In  turn,  will  Identify
areas  In  the  contingency  plan  that  requires  Improvements  and  updating.