There are approximately 116 straits used for international navigation around the world. Some of them are important international maritime chokepoints, namely the Dover Strait, Hormuz Strait, Straits of Malacca and Singapore and the Russian straits across the Northeast Arctic Passage. Due to the high number of navigational traffic going through these straits, vessel-source pollution is endemic in these waters. This article examines the applicable international legal framework on protection of the marine environment of straits used for international navigation such as Part XII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other related legal measures like International Maritime Organization conventions on protection of the marine environment. This article concludes by stating that the present framework is not sufficient in properly balancing two vital interests in the maritime world - protection of the marine environment vis-a-vis shipping.

Pulau Pisang is a small island situated off the western coast of the Malaysian state of Johor at the southern end of the Straits of Malacca. The island is about 12 kilometres from Pontian Kechil and 5 kilometres from the town of Benut and is the site of the Pulau Pisang Light, a lighthouse guiding ships into the western entrance of the busy Singapore Strait. From colonial times, the Pulau Pisang Light has always been recognised as within the territory of the independent Sultanate of Johor. The Sultanate of Johor became a British protectorate in the twentieth century and upon independence, Johor became one of the states within Malaysia. Currently, the lighthouse is managed and operated by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore and the lighthouse precinct is off limits to Malaysians. This article examines the status of Pulau Pisang as an island under Malaysian sovereignty. This article further looks at the possible future implications should Singapore continue to manage the Pulau Pisang Light that instigates the question: Will Pulau Pisang become another Pedra Branca?