KARACHI: Six long years have failed to eradicate the harsh memories of Tasman Spirit disaster from the minds of many except the government of Pakistan.
July 27, 2003, an oil tanker named Tasman Spirit, carrying at least 67,537 tonnes of light crude oil had grounded and subsequently broken in two near the approach channel of Karachi Port which led to the spillage of at least 30,000 tonnes of crude oil, thus creating a long-lasting ecological imbalance in the country’s sea life.
Apart from the incalculable environmental and psychological losses, the tragedy still poses a huge financial loss of at least $6.57 billion to be paid by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) to the owners of the Tasman Spirit, Assimina Maritime, if it loses ground in the case filed by them alleging that the PNSC violated the “safe berth warranty” by declaring a wrong 12.5 meter draft for the KPT’s approach channel.
The government is ignoring this looming catastrophe and apparently nothing but the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992 (IOPC Fund-1992), which is a part of an international organization for liability and compensation of oil pollution damage caused by spillage, can provide Pakistan with a reliable and cost-effective shield against such financial mishaps.
Out of over 205 nation states of the world at least 103, including India, have safeguarded their pockets by signing the protocol and Pakistan along with 20 other countries, prominently China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Syria, Peru etc., is not a signatory to this protection against accidents which are likely to occur at the congested ports like Karachi and Port Qasim.
“The matter is very important but I am not sure whether or not the IOPC Fund has been signed by Pakistan,” Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri told Pakistan Today after the second meeting of the Marine Pollution Control Board at KPT Head Office on January 9,2010.
Secretary Ministry of Ports and Shipping Saleem Khan was also unable to give any substantial response to this issue but was vigilant enough to add that his ministry had done a good job.
Fully aware of the gravity of the situation, the ports and shipping experts have long been critical of a non-serious attitude of the ministries of environment, petroleum and natural resources and ports and shipping towards essential preemptive measures like IOPC Fund and have levied blame on ministers who are shirking responsibility.
“Lack of will on the part of concerned authorities, particularly the Ministry of Petroleum, is a major factor behind the delay,” lamented Muhammad A. Rajpar who is chairman Pakistan Ships’ Agent Association (PSAA) as well as the board member of Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim Authority.
“Every signatory country has to pay a levy of at least 0.0064870 pound on every tonne of a certain type of oil imported through sea annually,” Rajpar quoted the IOPC Fund’s Contributions Table for 2007-2008, adding that oil refineries and marketing companies were afraid of the nominal cost burden of singing the protocol.
The PSAA chief believes that the protocol would help Pakistan avoid the anticipated financial liabilities emanating from the accidents like Tasman Spirit. It remains to be seen how much more time the country takes in becoming part of the IOPC pact.
