ABSTRACT
Local and national officials made various attempts to curb the problem of oily wastes from ships. Without national supervision, the situation deteriorated, inviting mounting complaints from officials in ports affected by harbour fires and from fishermen and resort owners experiencing damage to fisheries and amenities. The more fertile field for national, as opposed to local, legislation on oil pollution lay in British. The parties then proceeded to discuss several means of preventing oil pollution, ranging from higher penalties alone to technical innovation as well. American officials also realised that they had relatively little protection against oil pollution. British and American cooperation on oil pollution control in the 1920s and 1930s, though proof of close policy co-ordination, eventually diverged in terms of interest and leadership. Trade and other delicate ingredients of national interest were mixed in the melting pot of policy. Environmental groups were concerned about maximizing protection of resources, coastal amenities and wildlife.
