An Australian environmental consultant has warned Papua New Guinea that its pristine marine environment is under threat from the huge growth in international shipping traffic passing through its waters.
Steve Raaymakers, who's been consulting with the PNG government, says bulk carriers carting coal and other minerals from Australia to north Asia have to pass through PNG waters.
He says this trade, which has no value for PNG, poses a huge risk to the country's environment.
Mr Raaymakers says while PNG is obliged by international law to allow the shipping to pass through, it needs a legislative framework to reduce the risk.
He says he's been involved in this and hopes new laws can be passed by the end of the year.
"So this is the entire regulatory framework, for maritime safety, for safety of navigation, for prevention of accidents, provision of navigation aids, standards of shipping, ports' state controlled inspections and so forth and also to give a country a legislative framework to respond if they do have an incident."
