What information must be submitted to the nearest Coastal State after an environmental discharge?

• A. Name of ship, date and time of discharge, type and location of discharge, sea and weather conditions, and the quantity discharged.
• B. The ship's registration number only.
• C. The cargo manifest.
• D. All crew personal details.

Answer: (A)

When a discharge occurs, authorities need enough information to identify the source, assess impact, and coordinate a response. The essential details are the ship’s name, the exact date and time of the discharge, the type of discharge and its location, the sea and weather conditions at the time, and the quantity discharged. Together, these data allow officers to pinpoint which vessel is responsible, understand when and where the spill happened, model how it might spread given currents and winds, and estimate potential environmental impact based on volume. A registration number alone doesn’t identify the incident or provide the discharge specifics, a cargo manifest doesn’t describe what was released, and crew personal details aren’t relevant to the spill response.