UAE bans ships carrying flags of ten countries from UAE waters

ABU DHABI, JUNE 25, 2001 (WAM)--H.H. Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today issued a cabinet decision banning ships carrying flags of ten countries from entering UAE ports or approaching the country's territorial waters as part of the country's efforts to prevent maritime pollution. Countries covered by the ban include Albanina, Belize, Honduras, Georgia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Mauritius, Cambodia, Maldives, Comoro Islands and Bolivia. The decision stated that ships flying flags of these were banned from entering UAE ports, anchorage areas, territorial waters and the country's economic zone unless they carried valid classification certificates issued by the International Association of Classification Societies. The decision said that ships which were not covered by the above ban and had licences issued by the Ministry of Communications would continue to operate until the expiry of their contracts with relevant authorities. However, once the contracts ended they would not be renewed. The decision authorised relevant government authorities to seize ships violating the ban and to take appropriate actions against them. The decision also ordered all registraton companies belonging to the countries covered by the ban to be closed and not to allow similar ones to be opened. The decision stated that seized ships had to be auctioned and the purchaser had to dismantle them and turn them into scrap. It also ordered strict control to be applied to prevent the arrival of such ships in the UAE territorial waters. WAM/BG