Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) has announced a fine of up to SR20 million ($5.3 million) on anyone found polluting marine waters and aquatic environments.
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NCEC said that it has issued the executive regulations for the sustainable management of the marine and coastal environment, as per a decision by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The executive regulations established a set of rules, provisions, and controls that ensure the protection of the marine and coastal environment from deterioration and pollution and the prevention of damage, whether in the internal waters, the territorial sea of the Kingdom, the adjacent area to the special economic zone or the continental shelf.
The NCEC official spokesperson Abdullah Al-Mutairi explained that the regulation reflects the Kingdom’s keenness to maintain a clean, sustainable, and pollution-free marine environment, preserved from environmental degradation.
He added that the regulation took into account the international and regional agreements ratified by Saudi Arabia related to protecting the marine and coastal environment from deterioration and pollution, and in coordination with The General Authority for Ports (Mawani) and the Public Transport Authority to inspect ships and run the necessary tests and measurements to ensure compliance with international maritime conventions and treaties.
Al-Mutairi said the regulation includes a table of penalties against whoever violates the regulations and rules, which amount in some cases to SR20 million, taking into account the distribution of enforcement roles to the Environmental Compliance Center and all relevant environmental centers.
He stated that the regulation stipulated the preparation and follow-up of the implementation of national and local response plans to emergencies and potential environmental disasters in the marine and coastal environment, including oil pollution and harmful substances, and the importance of informing the competent center as soon as any leakage of oils or harmful substances occurred, or the loss of any of the cargo of the marine vessels occurring within the geographical scope of the Kingdom. ■