Economic and International Legal Aspects of the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution

The protection of the marine environment from pollution is a significant topic of research in the field of international law. Almost all states face problems in the field of environmental protection and strive to solve them at the national level. However, until environmental protection is ensured even in areas that do not fall under the sovereignty of any state, sustainable development goals and global environmental safety will not be achieved. Therefore, the protection of the marine environment from pollution requires appropriate international legal regulation. The purpose of this article is to carry out an analysis of international legal regulation of the protection of the marine environment from pollution, identify existing problems and propose ways to solve them. Statistical data on the state of the pollution of marine environment were analysed. Methodology. When writing the article, general theoretical methods were mainly used. Analysis and synthesis, theoretical generalization and systematic interpretation helped to assess the sufficiency of international legal regulation of the protection of the marine environment from pollution. Results. The article considered the content of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and identified its shortcomings. Practical implications. On the basis of doctrinal provisions, as well as the norms of the current international law the authors have identified the main range of problems existing in the sphere of international regal regulation of protection of the marine environment from pollution and proposed the possible ways of their resolving. Value/originality. It is determined that an important step in improving international legal regulation of the protection of the marine environment which is required is adoption of additional provisions which would regulate the protection of the marine environment from microplastics and provisions which will contain details of how should be established liability for damage caused to the marine environment by individual persons and details of collection of compensation for damage caused to the seas.