Source: Splash247
Date: 26th August 2025

New regulations introduce tougher penalties, environmental safeguards, and operational limits to protect marine ecosystems.

South Africa has unveiled a new regulatory framework that significantly tightens offshore ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations, aimed at safeguarding coastal ecosystems and addressing concerns over environmental damage.

The measures, enforced under the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, introduce fines of up to R2 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, for transgressions.

They also prohibit STS transfers in marine protected areas, aquaculture zones, and within three nautical miles of the high-water mark.

In Algoa Bay, one of the busiest offshore bunkering hubs, transfers will now be confined to designated anchorages with seasonal restrictions.

Operators must deploy monitoring systems for marine wildlife, implement independent environmental management plans, and provide crew with mandatory ecological training.

Additionally, spill-response vessels must remain on standby within five nautical miles of shore, while transfers will be banned in poor weather conditions where wind or wave thresholds are exceeded.

The South African clampdown follows years of debate over the environmental risks of offshore bunkering, particularly its link to the decline of vulnerable penguin populations.

The move aligns with a global trend of tighter regulation, as other countries such as Greece, Spain, Denmark, Malaysia, and Indonesia have recently strengthened oversight of STS transfers to counter safety hazards, pollution threats, and the operations of shadow fleets in key maritime regions.