Author(s)

K.R. MacHutchon

Abstract

Airborne laser induced fluorescence as a means for the effective management of oil spills, and for the enforcement of oil discharge regulations K. R. MacHutchon Liebenberg &3 Stander International, South Africa Abstract The effective management of oil spills and the enforcement of oil discharge regulations are issues which have been a problem to Coastal States in the past and they will continue to be challenges around the world well into the foreseeable future. Records show that the current instances of major oil spills from tanker accidents are fairly rare, with an annual spillage of some 162 000 tonnes, and the risks associated with these spills are considered to be acceptable. On the other hand, the flouting of oil discharge regulations by sea transportation continues on a regular basis. The total annual tonnage from this ongoing contamination of the sea is estimated to equal some 687 000 tonnes per year, which is almost ten times the tonnage of oil spilled by the Sea Empress when she was

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