14 April 2015: The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, adopted in 2007, entered into force on 14 April 2015. Under the Convention, for wrecks that are deemed to be a hazard by posing an impediment to navigation or expected to cause harm to the marine environment, liability is placed with the owners to locate, mark and remove wrecks.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Convention applies to wrecks located in a country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or equivalent 200-nautical-mile zone. It makes State certification of insurance, or other forms of financial security for such liability, compulsory for ships of 300gt and above, and grants Parties a right to take direct action against insurers.

Parties to the treaty are: Antigua and Barbuda; Bulgaria; Congo; Cook Islands; Denmark; Germany; India; Iran; Liberia; Malaysia; Marshall Islands; Morocco; Nigeria; Palau; and the UK.

In addition, the Convention will come into force for Malta on 18 April 2015, and for Tuvalu on 17 May 2015. [IMO Press Release]