At its worst, the type of ship fuel used here has been described as "marmite-type", thick and black, but the Government has agreed to sign an international treaty to target ship emissions. Kiwirail is in the process of replacing its Interislander ferry fleet with two larger ferries, which will be capable of complying with international standards, including the Annex VI. The convention's regulations limiting sulphur emissions from shipping are due to come into force on January 1. "The treaty examination process means that New Zealand would sign up to Annex VI in late 2021. All ships "flagged" to Annex VI party states visiting New Zealand will have to comply with the new regulations from that date.

Source: Stuff December 04, 2019 00:33 UTC