MARINE OIL POLLUTION AND LIABILITY AT SEA: AN ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL AND INDIAN LEGAL REGIMES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND COMPENSATION

Marine oil spills continue to be a serious hazard for the marine environment, as well as coastal livelihood and economy despite the emergence of extensive international and domestic legal systems regulating the phenomenon. The legal consequences of oil spills not only include physical contamination but involve complex issues relating to liability, compensation, environmental rehabilitation, and allocation of loss as well. In this paper, the international and Indian laws dealing with liability of marine oil pollution will be examined in detail, focusing in particular on the differences of cargo oil pollution and bunker oil pollution. For this purpose, the Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, the Fund Convention, the Supplementary Fund Protocol and the Bunkers Convention will be discussed along with UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and MARPOL convention. Moreover, the developments in the Indian legal system through the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, Rules thereunder and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 will be analyzed along and particular importance will be given to the valuation of ecological damages, compensation limits, bunker oil pollution and the relationship between maritime and environmental laws.