Maritime Transport Act 1994

Protection of marine environment from harmful substances - Obligations to protect marine environment from harmful substances

226: Harmful substances not to be discharged into sea or seabed of exclusive economic zone or continental shelf

You could also call this:

"Don't dump harmful substances into New Zealand's oceans or seabed."

You must not discharge harmful substances from a ship into the sea or onto the seabed in New Zealand's exclusive economic zone. This means you cannot release these substances into the water or onto the sea floor in this area.

You also must not discharge harmful substances from a New Zealand ship or a foreign ship that is mining into the sea or onto the seabed beyond New Zealand's exclusive economic zone but over the continental shelf.

However, you can discharge a harmful substance if you follow the marine protection rules, which can be found through the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and related legislation such as the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Amendment Act 2013.

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This page was last updated on 25 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM337285.

225: Interpretation, or

"What special words mean in the Maritime Transport Act"

226A: Harmful substances not to be discharged into sea or seabed beyond New Zealand continental waters from New Zealand ships, or

"No dumping harmful substances from NZ ships in international seas."

Part 19Protection of marine environment from harmful substances
Obligations to protect marine environment from harmful substances

226Harmful substances not to be discharged into sea or seabed of exclusive economic zone or continental shelf

This section applies to the discharge of harmful substances (other than a mining discharge).
Harmful substances must not be discharged from a ship—
into the sea within the exclusive economic zone; or
into or onto the seabed below that sea.

Harmful substances must not be discharged from a New Zealand ship or from a foreign ship that is involved in mining activity—
into the sea beyond the outer limits of the exclusive economic zone but over the continental shelf; or
into or onto the seabed below that sea.

However, a harmful substance may be discharged if the substance is discharged in accordance with the marine protection rules.

Notes

Section 226: replaced, on 31 October 2015, by section 47(1) of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 85).