The Wusong Maritime Safety Administration has handled its first case of illegal direct discharge of ship-generated sewage.

On August 15, the "Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China" (referred to as the "Ecological Environment Code") officially came into effect. To ensure the precise implementation of the new laws and regulations and effectively transform the advantages of the code system into water area ecological governance efficiency, the Wusong Maritime Bureau has placed great importance on the implementation of the code. It has incorporated it into routine learning for all staff and core content for specialized law enforcement training, promoting the deep integration of the new legal provisions into the entire chain of ship navigation, operations, and pollutant disposal, thereby strengthening the ecological safety barrier of Shanghai Port's water areas.

The new law was enforced immediately, with zero tolerance for strict supervision. Recently, the Zhanghuabang Maritime Patrol Law Enforcement Team of the Wusong Maritime Bureau uncovered a case of illegal direct discharge of domestic sewage from a ship. This case is the first illegal direct discharge of domestic sewage from a ship investigated by the Shanghai maritime system since the official implementation of the "Ecological Environment Code," demonstrating the maritime department's firm determination to protect the ecological environment of water areas and regulate green shipping practices.

On the same day, law enforcement personnel conducted routine patrol inspections in the jurisdictional waters and discovered abnormal discharge signs on the vessel "Zheng XX." They immediately boarded the ship for an on-site investigation. After a thorough inspection, it was confirmed that the valve of the main domestic sewage pipe leading to the outside of the ship was open, while the valve leading to the domestic sewage treatment device was closed. The domestic sewage treatment device was not in use, and untreated domestic sewage was being directly discharged into the water. After verification by the responsible party, the total amount of untreated domestic sewage directly discharged was approximately 153 liters. Law enforcement personnel fully documented the illegal evidence, including images and written records, and initiated an investigation into the ship's illegal activities in strict accordance with legal procedures.

According to law enforcement personnel, Article 380 of the "Ecological Environment Code" explicitly stipulates that within the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China, no ship or related operations may illegally discharge ship garbage, domestic sewage, oily wastewater, or other pollutants into the ocean.

The investigation and handling of this case of direct discharge of domestic sewage from a ship have significant demonstrative and warning implications, as well as practical legal value. It breaks the mindset of some crew members and shipping companies who believe that "small-scale pollution is harmless, and concealed pollution goes unnoticed." It sets a benchmark for the legal and standardized governance of ship pollution prevention in the jurisdiction. Moving forward, the Wusong Maritime Bureau will take the implementation of the "Ecological Environment Code" as an opportunity to continue deepening the "zero discharge" special action for ship pollution prevention, regularly strengthening water area patrol law enforcement efforts, strictly investigating various illegal ship pollution discharge behaviors, and using the rigidity of the law to safeguard the ecological safety baseline of the jurisdictional water areas.