The Marine Environmental Protection Law was promulgated in 1982 and amended in 1999, 2013, 2016 and 2017 respectively. The latest revision entered into force on November 5, 2017.

There are 97 articles in total.

The key points are as follows:

1.This Law shall apply to the internal waters, territorial seas, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones and continental shelves of the People’s Republic of China and all other sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China. And it also apply to pollution to the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China originating from areas beyond the sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China.

2.The State shall work out the national marine environment quality standards in accordance with the marine environment quality conditions and the economic and technological level of the country.

3.The State Council and the coastal local governments shall protect typical and representative marine ecosystems, protect sea areas where rare and dying out marine organisms are naturally and densely scattered, protect habitats of marine organisms having important economic value, and protect marine natural historic relics and natural landscapes having great scientific and cultural significance.

4.In exploiting resources of an island and its surrounding sea area, strict ecological protection measures shall be adopted, and no damage shall be brought to the island topography, beach, vegetation and the ecological environment of the surrounding sea area.