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The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved, with a view to adoption at its next session (MEPC 60 in March 2010), proposed draft amendments to MARPOL Annex I to prohibit carriage or use of heavy grade oil in the Antarctic area;

The proposed draft amendments would add a new chapter 9 with a new regulation 43, which would prohibit the carriage in bulk as cargo, or carriage and use as fuel, of:

* Crude oils having a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/m3;

* Oils, other than crude oils, having a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/m3 or a kinematic viscosity at 50°C higher than 180 mm2/s; or

* Bitumen, tar and their emulsions.

An exception is envisaged for vessels engaged in securing the safety of ships or in a search and rescue operation.

In the run up to last week's MEPC meeting cruise ship operators aready began preparing to drop the Antarctic from their schedules as a result of the expected fuel ban.

A number of cruise lines have already announced that they will no longer be operating in Atlantic waters. Voyages of Discovery and Saga have removed the area from their 2009/10 cruise programmes, whilst Swan Hellenic has said that it will be pulling out of the Antarctic in 2010.

Meanwhile, Norwegian firm Hurtigruten has announced that it has already cut back from two ships to one in the region.

The new rules mean that cruise ships sailing in the Antarctic would only be able to carry marine gas oil (MGO), which could cost operators several million dollars extra per season.

Currently, cruise vessels use MGO when sailing south of 60 degrees latitude and heavy fuels when north of this point. The new rules would require cruise ships to use MGO for the entire voyage.

The proposed amendments follow the sinking of the 2,400-ton Gap Adventures' MS Explorer off the Antarctic Peninsula in 2007. The incident served to highlight the need for stricter controls over cruise vessels sailing in the region.

Earlier this year, the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB) expressed its concern over the impact of a fuel ban on the Falklands cruise industry.

The FITB's General Manager Jake Downing said "What is particularly disquieting about this development is that the intention of the ban seems only to be on tourist, fishing and cargo vessels. Military vessels, supply vessels, salvage vessels and SAR vessels will not be affected."

The new amendments were submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee by the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG), which was set up to consider matters related to the following subjects:

* prevention and control of marine pollution from ships and other related maritime operations involved in the transport and handling of oil and dangerous and noxious liquids substances in bulk;

* evaluation of hazards of dangerous and noxious liquid substances in bulk transported by ships;

* control and management of ships' ballast water and sediments;

* construction, equipment and operational requirements for ships carrying bulk liquids and gases;

* protection of personnel involved in the transport of bulk liquids and gases; and

* survey and certification of ships constructed to carry bulk liquids and gases.