The Argentine Coast Guard is a security force acting as police coast guard and providing within its broad scope other outstanding services related to navigation safety and environmental protection. It is an institution with a deep historical background, which finds its roots in the colonial office of Captain of the Port, established by Spain January 8, 1756. This office was regulated by the Spanish Colonial Code until March 8, 1793, when King Charles V enacted the General Ordinances which outlined the main principles that rule the institution today. Those regulations have covered water pollution since 1937, but only in 1977 did the institution start work on the principles laid down by the International Maritime Organization, through the efforts of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee. The first principle is prevention. The second is that anyone who causes pollution is required to pay. In 1979, by Maritime Ordinance 4/79, vessels were allowed a 10-year period (1981 - 1991) to adjust to these new rules. These developments took place in accordance with MARPOL 73/78, an agreement endorsed by Argentina in 1993. This information was disseminated in Latin America through free courses and technical advisory services.
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