Ethical Considerations in Protecting the Marine Environment from the Effects of Oil Pollution and Its Support by International Law

Introduction: In recent years, approaches based on environmental ethics have emphasized the need to protect the environment from the effects of industrial pollutants. This trend is reflected in new and developing international policies for environmental protection, such that, for example, in the field of protecting the marine environment from oil pollution, the existing international approach is based on the development of laws that protect the environment and protect humans. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of examining ethical considerations in protecting the marine environment from the effects of oil pollution and its support by international laws. Material and Methods: This study used reliable sources and international scientific articles in the field of environmental ethics and the support of international laws for the marine environment from oil pollution in a descriptive and review manner. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that it is not possible to define a specific and unified ethical framework for protecting the marine environment. In the present study, three ethical perspectives were discussed, which represent the ways in which people view the environment in general and the marine environment in particular and their interactions with it. These are anthropocentric, ecocentric and biocentric ethics. Five general ethical principles have also been identified, which are included in international legal instruments and thus represent an agreement reached by signatories with different cultural backgrounds. These are: sustainability, conservation of biodiversity, protection, environmental justice and human dignity. In view of this, it is essential to develop international laws to protect the marine environment.