Iran is preparing to introduce environmental compensation fees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Islamic Republic’s state news agency IRNA, citing a senior official from the country’s Environmental Protection Organisation (EPO) on Thursday.
Ahmadreza Lahijan-Zadeh, deputy head of the organisation, said the proposed framework would require ships using the strategic waterway to contribute towards the cost of repairing environmental damage in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
“The government has decided that the cost of compensating for environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will be collected from services provided to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Lahijan-Zadeh said.
According to IRNA, the proposal currently is under government review before being submitted to parliament for approval.
Lahijan-Zadeh said the draft framework calculates charges based on factors including a vessel’s type, tonnage and cargo.
“The amounts received will be used to compensate for environmental damage and restore damaged habitats,” he said.
“The amounts received will be used to compensate for environmental damage and restore damaged habitats,” he said, adding that more than 22,000 oil tankers typically pass through the strait annually, contributing to pollution in the environmentally sensitive region.
“The Persian Gulf waterway is considered one of the most sensitive habitats in the world, and the presence of mangrove forests and coral reefs increases the importance and necessity of protecting this region,” he continued.
Lahijan-Zadeh further said that the hostilities had caused environmental damage, including contamination along an estimated 150-mile stretch of coastline due to oil pollution during the conflict.
“In some areas where ships were targeted, our colleagues from the Environmental Protection Organization in Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces were present and documented the damages as much as possible,” he said.
