Paragraph 10 Compulsory insurance against liability for pollution
Subject to the provisions of this Act relating to Government ships, subsection (2) of this section shall apply to any ship carrying in bulk a cargo of more than 2,000 tons of persistent oil of a description specified in regulations made by the Governor.
The ship shall not enter or leave a port in Solomon Islands or arrive at or leave a terminal in the territorial sea of Solomon Islands nor, if the ship is registered in Solomon Islands a port in any other country or a terminal in the territorial sea of any other country, unless there is in force a certificate complying with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section and showing that there is in force in respect of the ship a contract of insurance or other security satisfying the requirements of Article VII of the Convention (cover for owner's liability).
The certificate must be—
if the ship is registered in Solomon Islands, a certificate issued by the Governor;
if the ship is registered in a Convention country other than the Solomon Islands, a certificate issued by or under the authority of the government of the other Convention country; and
if the ship is registered in a country which is not a Convention country, a certificate recognised for the purposes of this paragraph by regulations made under this section.
The Governor may by regulations provide that certificates in respect of ships registered in any, or any specified, country which is not a Convention country shall, in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, be recognised for the purposes of subsection (3)(c) of this section if issued by or under the authority of the government of the country designated in the regulations in that behalf; and the country that may be so designated may be either or both of the following, that is to say—
the country in which the ship is registered; and
any country specified in the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph.
Any certificate required by this section to be in force in respect of a ship shall be carried in the ship and shall, on demand, be produced by the master to any officer of customs and, if the ship is registered in Solomon Islands to any proper officer within the meaning of section 97(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 as it applies in the United Kingdom.
If a ship enters or leaves, or attempts to enter or leave, a port or arrives at or leaves, or attempts to arrive at or leave, a terminal in contravention of subsection (2) of this section, the master or owner shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 70,000 dollars.
If a ship fails to carry, or the master of a ship fails to produce, a certificate as required by subsection (5) of this section the master shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 800 dollars.
If a ship attempts to leave a port in Solomon Islands in contravention of this section the ship may be detained.