1. INTRODUCTION

Despite their extensive use as a safe and quick route for the transportation of goods and their exploitation in respect of their resources, the oceans remain to a large extent unexplored. Marine species while not yet fully documented have become endangered or extinct and several fish populations have collapsed or are on the brink of collapsing. It was the image of big tankers2 leaking very large quantities of oil, polluting extensive areas and destroying wildlife that raised public awareness about the threats to the environment posed by large scale transportation of oil by sea. The law started from that point onwards to develop into a very distinct and separate field involving both regulatory obligations as well as penal and civil liability.