Tumpahan Minyak di Laut China Timur: Kajian Kes Tumpahan Minyak Kapal Sanchi (Oil Spills in the East China Sea: A Case Study of the Sanchi Tanker Oil Spill)

Abstract

ABSTRAK
Kejadian tumpahan minyak di lautan merupakan suatu masalah yang tidak asing kepada masyarakat dunia. Masalah ini adalah berpunca daripada pelbagai faktor seperti pelanggaran kapal dan penggunaan kapal berbendera Panama atau ‘Flag of Convenience’ yang telah uzur. Kajian ini merupakan kajian kes pelanggaran kapal di Laut China Timur yang berlaku di antara kapal Sanchi dan kapal CF Crystal yang mengakibatkan tumpahan minyak yang besar berlaku di kawasan tersebut. Setelah hampir empat tahun kejadian tersebut berlaku, kajian ini dilakukan untuk meneliti semula aspek liabiliti dan tanggungan negara perairan pantai serta negara pemilik kapal tersebut apabila berlakunya perlanggaran kapal dan tumpahan minyak.Kajian ini juga dilakukan untuk mengenalpasti undang-undang antarabangsa yang terlibat dalam mengawal selia isu tumpahan minyak di laut. Antara undang-undang antarabangsa yang mengawal selia tumpahan minyak adalah seperti Konvensyen Undang-undang Laut Antarabangsa Persatuan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu, International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (Civil Liability Convention), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), 1973/1978 dan Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP).Kaedah kajian perpustakaan dilakukan dengan meneliti artikel-artikel dan laporan kes berkaitan perlanggaran kapal Sanchi dan CF Crystal serta tumpahan minyak. Kajian mendapati bahawa Negara China hendaklah bertanggungjawab untuk membersihkan tumpahan minyak yang berlaku kerana tumpahan minyak itu berlaku di kawasan Zon Ekonomi Eksklusif China manakala kapal Sanchi pula bertanggungjawab membayar perbelanjaan-perbelanjaan yang diperlukan untuk membersihkan kawasan tumpahan minyak tersebut.
Kata kunci: tumpahan minyak, kapal Sanchi, Zon Ekonomi Eksklusif China, liabiliti Laut China Timur, perlindungan dan pemeliharaan persekitaran laut
ABSTRACT
The issue of Oil spills is a recurring problem that happens in the sea. This problem is caused by various factors such as ship collisions and the usage of old Panama-flagged ships or ‘Flag of Convenience’. This article is a case study of a ship collision that occurred in the East China Seas between the Sanchi and CF Crystal Ship that caused a significant oil spill in the area. Four years after the incident, this study is done to re-analyze the aspects of liabilities along with the duties of the coastal states and flag states in the events of marine disasters such as collisions and oil spills. This study is also conducted to identify the international laws involved to regulate the issue of maritime oil spills. Among the international laws to regulate oil spills are the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (Civil Liability Convention), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollutions from Ships (MARPOL), and the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP). The library research method was implemented by analysing articles and case reports on the collision between the Sanchi ship and the CF Crystal ship and articles on oil spills. This study finds that China is responsible for the cleanup activities of the oil spill since the incident occurred in the Exclusive Economic Zone of China. At the same time, the Sanchi ship is responsible for compensating the fees to clean up the areas affected by the oil spill.
Keywords: oil spill, Sanchi ship, China Exclusive Economic Zone, Liability, East China Sea, marine environment protection and conservation