The examiner is testing whether you can operate pollution-prevention systems as a watchkeeper, not merely recite that they exist. A pass-standard answer names the documents, states who holds them, where they are kept, what they contain, and what you would physically do with the equipment. Vague answers such as "we have a SOPEP onboard" fail.
SOPEP – Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Required under MARPOL Annex I for vessels of 400 GT and above. Smaller vessels may carry a simplified Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (OPEP). The SOPEP is approved by the flag state and must be carried onboard; on a superyacht it is typically held on the bridge and by the chief officer.
Contents a candidate must know:
- Reporting procedures and contact details (flag state authority, coastal state, owner/manager, P&I club)
- Onboard spill-response procedures: stop the source, contain, notify, recover
- Crew duties and responsibilities by name/rank
- Inventory and location of shipboard anti-pollution equipment
The SOPEP does not authorise the discharge — it tells you how to respond and who to call. Reporting obligations under MARPOL and SOLAS must still be met.
Garbage Management Plan (GMP)
Required under MARPOL Annex V for vessels of 100 GT and above, and vessels certified to carry 15 or more persons. The plan must be written in the working language of the crew.
The GMP specifies:
- Segregation categories (plastics, food waste, domestic waste, operational waste, cargo residues, fishing gear, e-waste)
- Handling, storage, processing and disposal procedures
- Designated person responsible for the plan
A Garbage Record Book is required for vessels of 100 GT and above on international voyages and vessels certified to carry 15 or more persons. Note: this threshold was lowered from 400 GT to 100 GT with effect from 1 May 2024. Each discharge or incineration must be logged with date, position, category and estimated amount. The master signs each page.
Key operational rule: no plastics are ever discharged at sea — this is an absolute prohibition. Discharge restrictions for other categories depend on distance from land and whether the vessel is in a Special Area.
Anti-Pollution Equipment
Typical shipboard inventory includes: oil absorbent pads and booms, drip trays (bilge, bunkering, machinery spaces), plugs and putty for scuppers, portable pumps, containment bags, and chemical dispersant if approved by the coastal state. Locations must be known to the duty officer — usually listed in the SOPEP itself.
For bunkering, SOPEP procedures are activated beforehand: scupper plugs in, drip trays positioned, communication established with the bunker barge, and a responsible officer stationed throughout.
How to structure your spoken answer
Name the document → state the regulatory basis (MARPOL Annex) → state the GT threshold → describe what it contains → explain what you would do in an incident or inspection scenario. Keep it active and practical — examiners reward officers who speak as though they have used these plans, not just read about them.