2010 年 45 巻 2 号 p. 254-259
IMO (International Maritime Organization) has regulated the discharge of oil from ships due to the large scale incidents at sea. OPRC-HNS Protocol (Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances) became effective in June 2007. The potential danger of pollution from sunken wrecks has been discussed during the major international oil spill conference. The National Maritime Research Institute has planned to develop a hazard map of stranded and sunken ships in order to use technology to prevent oil discharges at sea. For this purpose, stranded and sunken ships around the Sea of Japan have been investigated. Data of 3,503 grounded and sunken ships have been obtained in the year between 1900 and 2004.The sunken ship data are plotted on the map. Using 3 factors which are the time of oil discharge, the degree of volume of discharged oil, and the distance between sunken point and coast, the potential danger of sunken ships to the environment has been discussed.