Pollution Incident in Bohai Sea: Lack of Regulatory Awareness and Crew Negligence Identified as Causes

Based on our on-site investigation and information provided by the Master, the following causes of the incidents have been identified:

1. Lack of Regulatory Awareness: The Master and Chief Officer of the vessel were not sufficiently familiar with the regulations stipulated in MARPOL 73/78 Annex V and the National Standard of the People's Republic of China GB3552-2018. They were unaware that the Bohai Sea is classified as inland water under Chinese law.

2. Crew Negligence: During daytime navigation in a two-way channel, the crew was flushing the hatch cover. During this process, they failed to observe and prevent water on the deck from flowing into the sea from the stern of the ship. This oversight was particularly noticeable among crew members who frequently operate in the Bohai Sea area and should be more attuned to such potential environmental risks.