Coastal State Jurisdiction in Preventing Vessel Source Pollution: To Preserve Marine Environment or Freedom of Navigation?

The presented thesis seeks for answers about precise territorial extent and legal content of the coastal State jurisdiction over vessel source pollution in its adjacent marine jurisdictional areas. After introducing the topic and discussing the important terms and concepts, it discusses the historical development in the law of the sea regarding State jurisdiction and sovereignty over its adjacent marine areas both in theory and in State practice. Further, it discusses the development of the jurisdictional framework for prevention of vessel source pollution of marine environment in the 20th century, and subsequently the framework itself, paying special attention to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1973/78 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. It then provides a detailed overview of coastal State jurisdiction in its marine jurisdictional areas, in respect of both prescription and enforcement, as stipulated by the 1982 Convention, other regulatory treaties and general international law. In the concluding chapter, the content of the thesis is summarised and possible future developments in the field are contemplated