IMO urges global shipping industry to strengthen ocean protection measures

On World Oceans Day (June 8), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) called on its 176 member states and the worldwide shipping sector to intensify actions that safeguard the marine environment. IMO Secretary‑General Arsenio Domínguez emphasized that shipping must move from setting rules to implementing them, citing the organisation’s 2026‑2027 World Maritime Day theme “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.”

The IMO highlighted its existing regulatory framework—including the MARPOL Convention, Ballast Water Management Convention, Anti‑Fouling Systems Convention, Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling, and the London Convention and Protocol—and announced several priority actions: a 2026 strategy and action plan to achieve zero plastic‑waste discharges from ships by 2030, an extension to 2028 of the trial phase for revised guidelines on reducing underwater radiated noise, and an agreement among members to develop a legally binding instrument on ship biofouling. Ongoing discussions also aim to tighten regulations on greenhouse‑gas emissions from ships, linking climate action with ocean protection.