So far this year more than 18 countries have signed up to the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enforce Marpol pollution regulations. Last month the EU voted to criminalize pollution offences closing the net on this area of maritime pollution. Under these new policies overboard spillage of oil has led to penalties for first time offenders that include custodial sentencing of senior officers and shore based personnel in addition to fines running into many millions of dollars. According to U.S. Attorney’s published statistics violation of MARPOL I,the U.S.