In this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,---
(a) "authority" means the Central Government or any person authorised by it;
(b) "Convention" means the Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007;
(c) "hazard" means any condition or threat, that---
(i) poses a danger or impediment to navigation; or
(ii) may reasonably be expected to result in major harmful consequences to the marine environment or damage to the coastline or related interests of India or any other State.
Explanation.---For the purposes of this clause, "related interest" means---
(i) maritime coastal, port and estuarine activities including fisheries activities, constituting essential means of livelihood of the persons concerned;
(ii) tourist attractions and other economic interests of the areas concerned;
(iii) the health of the coastal population and the well-being of the area concerned, including conservation of marine living resources and of wildlife; and
(iv) offshore and underwater infrastructure;
(d) "maritime casualty" means a collision of ships, stranding or other incident of navigation or other occurrence onboard a ship or external to it, resulting in material damage or imminent threat of material damage to a ship or its cargo;
(e) "operator of ship" means the ship owner or any other organisation or person such as the manager or the bareboat charterer, who has assumed the responsibility for operation of the ship from the ship owner and has agreed to take over the duties and responsibilities enshrined under the International Safety Management Code;
(f) "receiver of wreck" means a person appointed as such under sub-section (1) of section 235;
(g) "registered owner" means,---
(i) the person registered as the owner of the ship or in the absence of registration, the person owning the ship at the time of the maritime casualty;
(ii) in the case of a ship owned by a State and operated by a company which in that State is registered as the operator of the ship;
(h) "removal" means any form of prevention, mitigation or elimination of the hazard created by a wreck and the expressions "remove", "removed" or "removing", shall be construed accordingly;
(i) "ship" means a sea-going vessel of any type whatsoever and includes hydrofoil boats, aircushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft and floating platforms, except when such platforms are on location engaged in the exploration, exploitation or production of seabed mineral resources.