ON 26 APRIL 2023, THE BRAZILIAN MARITIME AUTHORITY SIGNED A LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TANKER OWNERS POLLUTION FEDERATION (ITOPF) AIMING TO REINFORCE THE COOPERATION BETWEEN BOTH ENTITIES.
Brazilian legislation provides that the Maritime Authority has the responsibility to safeguard the lives at sea, vessels, and the environment. Considering that Brazil does not have a Coast Guard, the Brazilian Navy acts as the country’s Maritime Authority and will be the entity to respond to emergencies and incidents alongside the Brazilian coast and/or inland waters.
The Letter of Understanding has a duration of 5 years, being extendable for another 5-year period. The cooperation between the Maritime Authority and ITOPF involves the promotion of courses, workshops, training, and other activities with the purpose of improving the Maritime Authority’s capacity to respond to emergencies involving hydrocarbons, both in terms of reaction time and effectiveness of measures taken.
Brazil has a coastline of over 8,000 km and more than 20,000km of navigable river waterways, which are crossed by a large volume of merchant vessels, including solid and liquid bulk carriers carrying oil, chemicals, and other substances potentially harmful to the environment, should they be spilled. A swift and assertive response by the Maritime Authority, deploying all the naval means at its disposal, is crucial to mitigate damages. The agreement signed with ITOPF is a positive and much needed development, which will hopefully assist in raising Brazil’s emergency response capabilities to a new level, in line with international practices.Â
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