These Regulations implement provisions of the Marine Environmental Protection Law. The text consists of 56 articles divided into 12 Chapters: General provisions (I); General stipulations (II); Documents and equipment (III); Oil operations and discharge of oil-polluted water by vessels (IV); Dangerous goods carried by vessels (V); Other polluted water from vessels (VI); Garbage from vessels (VII); Use of vessels to dump waste (VIII); Surface and submerged projects of ship repair, ship building, ship salvage and ship scrapping (IX); Compensation for harm from pollution accidents caused by vessels (X); Supplementary provisions (XII).
These Regulations are applicable to all Chinese and foreign vessels, shipowners and other individuals within the sea areas and harbours under the jurisdiction of the PRC (art. 2). The State fishing administrations and organs of supervision and control of fishing harbours shall exercise the functions and powers of the organs in charge as stipulated in these Regulations in fishing harbour water areas (art. 54).