Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear Material
The Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear Material provides a number of provisions designed to regulate cases of nuclear damage at sea. By bridging the gap between the Paris and Vienna Conventions on nuclear liability, together with existing maritime law the treaty clarifies who is responsible in the event of a nuclear incident at sea. If it is discovered that the civil operator of the nuclear material or installation is responsible, as per the Paris or Vienna Conventions, the ship owner or individual ordinarily responsible under maritime law should be exonerated. It consequently extends the liability of civil nuclear operators to maritime transportation. The convention does not however apply to cases where an individual in charge of a ship illegally releases radioactive waste or nuclear fuel. Since its adoption in December 1971 the convention has been ratified by 17 countries and entered into force in July 1975.