1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its
sixty-seventh session (2 to 6 December 1996) and the Marine Environment Protection Committee, at
its thirty-ninth session (10 to 14 March 1997), approved the following interpretation of the
application of resolution A.747(18) - "Application of tonnage measurement of segregated ballast
tanks in oil tankers", proposed by the BLG and SLF Sub-Committees:
"Any tanker carrying
only oil which is equipped with SBT, complying with regulation 13 of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78,
may be granted deduction of these volumes, in accordance with resolution A.747(18), irrespective
of whether the ship may also have a certificate of fitness under MARPOL Annex II and the IBC or
BCH Codes. The SBT volumes must, however, be indicated in both the ship's IOPP Certificate and
in the International Tonnage Certificate (1969)."
2 The Committees noted that the
intention of the interpretation was not to alter or widen the substance of resolution A.747(18)
but to clarify that for a tanker, carrying only oil at a particular time, the mere existence of
a certificate issued under MARPOL Annex II should not impinge on the application of resolution
A.747(18).
3 Member Governments are invited to advise
the port and harbour authorities, pilotage authorities and other parties concerned, of the above
interpretation of the application of resolution A.747(18).