Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
There are regulations governing what can and what can't be disposed of from ships or other structures in the sea. This is to prevent marine pollution, in particular with plastic in the sea contributing to the ocean garbage patch.
You must have a licence before you can deposit substances or articles in the sea:
You can deposit some things without a licence, including:
For more information contact your relevant regulator:
DAERA: Marine Strategy and Licensing Branch
If you have a larger fishing vessel (over 400 gross tonnage (gt)) which you use for international voyages, you must meet additional requirements for sewage discharge. For more information, contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
You must not discharge any oil or any mixture with an oil content of more than 15 parts per million into the sea if your vessel:
Your anti-fouling system must meet certain legal requirements depending on the size of your vessel. It should meet the relevant requirements of the EU regulation on the prohibition of organotin compounds on ships, and the related International Maritime Organisation (IMO) convention. For more information, contact the MCA.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Read more Managing Waste Materials topics on NetRegs
Groundwater in Northern Ireland, DAERA have produced a leaflet to raise awareness about this untapped resource
EU Exit, EU Exit useful information
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