The Malaysian Coast Guard intercepted three foreign-flagged cargo ships in the Strait of Malacca and confirmed that they were directly discharging oily wastewater from their engine rooms and ballast water. Water sample tests revealed petroleum substance levels 20–40 times above the permissible limit, with rainbow-colored oil slicks forming on parts of the sea surface, posing a serious threat to the strait’s ecosystem. As one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the Strait of Malacca has long been a hotspot for illegal ship discharges, with frequent incidents of passing vessels illegally discharging oily wastewater and sewage, resulting in the ongoing destruction of surrounding mangrove and coral reef ecosystems.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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