Act No. 4 on the Protection of the Marine Environment.

This Act (Landstingsforordning in Danish) establishes a comprehensive legal framework to safeguard Greenland’s marine environment. It aims to ensure sustainable development by preventing and controlling marine pollution caused by ships and aircraft. The regulation defines key terms such as “discharge,” “dumping,” and “oil,” and applies to Danish and Greenlandic vessels and aircraft operating within Greenland’s territorial waters. It prohibits the release of oil, waste, and harmful substances, except under specific, licensed conditions. The regulation also requires ships to maintain oil and chemical journals, ensures proper waste reception facilities in ports, and mandates emergency preparedness for pollution incidents. Article 20 allows for special permission for dumping fish, fish waste, dredged seabed material, or vessels, based on an environmental assessment of local conditions.
The Act assigns the Greenlandic government (Landsstyret) broad authority to issue regulations, grant permits, and enforce compliance through inspections and penalties. It allows for fines and vessel detention for violations, even in cases of non-negligent pollution. Special provisions cover emergency exemptions, reporting obligations, and cooperation between local and national authorities in oil spill response. The law replaces earlier Danish acts on marine pollution made applicable to Greenland, marking Greenland’s assumption of environmental regulatory competence in marine protection.