Annex V is one of the optional Annexes of MARPOL 73/78 It has
BCCNCMIC IMPACT
4.1.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIOSI:
The Republic of Cameroon is situated along the West African Coast,
'd' deep in the Gulf of Guinea between latitudes 2 and 13 degrees North.
She is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the South-West, Nigeria to
the West, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo to the South, Central
African Republic to the East and Tchad to the North.
Cameroon has an area of 475.000 sq. Rn, a coastline measuring 475
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The following points are glaringly indicative of the fact that
Cameroon is most exposed to pollution hazards in the Gulf of Guinea
region;
Oceanographic studies carried out in the Gulf of Guinea show
that Cameroon is located at a point of convergence of two major
ocean currents, namely, the Guinea Currents from the West and
the Benguella Currents from the South. These currents are
capable of bringing pollutants from distant places.
Off the Cameroonian coast, there is a major tanker route viiich
originates frcm the Middle-East and passes through the Cape of
Good Hope to Europe and America ty way of the Gulf of Guinea.
There is at present a substantial tanker traffic generated by
oil exporting countries in the Gulf region - Nigeria, Gabon and
Cameroon.
The Cameroonian coastline is characterized by her enclaved nature,
and
The presence of the Malabo Island helps to stagnate current
circulation along the Cameroonian coastline.
The following statistical information indicates more or less
the density of tanker traffic through the West and Central African
maritime region and the incidents that resulted therefron between
1975 and 1980. It is worth noting that oil production in this region
is centred around the Gulf of Guinea region vMch errbraces Cameroon,
Gabon and Nigeria, amongst others.
It has been estimated that as much as 586 million tons (MT) of
oil are transported annually through the Cape of Good Hope. And
West and Central African region exports 120 MT annually.
This gives a tx3tal of 700 MT of oil transported through the West
and Central African waters each year. Half of this anoimt is
carried in VICCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) and the other half
is carried in large tankers.
This means, roughly, that an average of 1765 super tankers and
5883 large tankers traverse the West and Central African maritime
zone every year. It means also that 5 super tankers and 16 large
tankers ply the West and Central African waters daily.
The relatively heavy tanker traffic resulted as it were in a
number of casiialties hereunder enlisted:
i) December 1975 MOBIL REFINER went into a collision around
Douala and 45 tons of heavy crude oil were
spilled
ii) i^ril 1977 UNIVEE^E DEFIZ\NCE had an explosion off the
Senegalese coast and an unknown quantity of
fuel n- 2 was filled.
iii) October 1977 UNILUCT went aground in Nigerian waters
spilling a substantial amount of crude oil.
The quantity spilled is not known.
iv) November 1977 ARZEN vhile unloading at Cotonou caught fire
and a total of 7 - 8000 of product oil
were spilled
v) 1978 A tanker grounded near Cape Verde and spilled
oil
vi) Jxine 1979 RETRO BCXJSCAT grounded near Kribi in
vii) 1979 + 1980 Pour explosions and groundings resulting in oil spillages, v?ere reported. (13) ++
The information above is far from being conplete or accurate.
It, nevertheless, gives the picture however blxirred of oil
transportation from and through the West and Central African
region for a given period.
If a similar survey were carried out today the findings might
to a lesser degree differ for various reasons steming principally
from fluctuations in the oil market and the coming into force of
MARPOL 73/78 and other pollution and safety conventions. As
previously indicated in Chapter I, the Conventions have had the
effect of checking both the operational and the accidental pol
lution.
A word about the oil market fluctuation would probably explain
vhy a similar study today on tanker traffic in the above region
might differ frcan the afore stated findings.
Beginning frcm 1974 there was an oil boon that gave the OPEC
Members (jt) a golden opportunity to raise oil prices. In 1978
the oil prices were at the peak and fabulous profits were made.
The oil bocm attracted more and more investors into the oil
business and a huge tanker fleet,emerged. VLCCs and ULCCs were
constructed indiscrimately without serious market prospection.
The outcome is a foregone conclusion.
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As it were, the major oil consumers vAio are essentially the
industrial nations finding it difficulty if not impossible, to
meet the price hiking resorted to reducing their demand for oil
and relying more on alternative energy sources. With a fall
in demand, supply eventually toed the line and prices were forced
to drop in the early eighties marking the beginning of the present
recession. The latter resulted in the scraping and laying rp of
tankers particularly the largest sizes.
From the above analyses of the oil market and considering the
present day trend of same, the following tentative conclusions can
be drawn:
i) Averagely less than 5 supertankers and more than 16 large
tankers daily ply the West and Central African waters today.
Though scrapings and laying up are contributory, the prime
reason is found in the growing tendency to build refineries
closer to the oil fields rather than in consumption areas as
was formerly the case. This has resulted in the transportation
of greater amounts of refined products than previously and,
conversely, in a relative reduction of the quantity of crude
oil transported.
ii) The amount of oil transported annually fron and through the
West and Central African waters vrould most probably be greater
than the 700 MT recorded in the,seventies. The reason is
found mainly in the fact that v^ile many more oil producers
have recently cone into the scene, oil consuitption has
.steadily increased, of late.
It is nonetheless regrettable that operational pollution vdiich
accounts for ’as much as 73 percent (NAS) approximately, of the
total annual quantity of oil discharged into the sea due to
transportation activities has so far not been accounted foi; for the
region in question. There is little wonder that tarballs are ccm-
monly fo\ind along the coasts of most countries in the West and
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