Soru

Passage:
The doctrine of general average—a foundational principle of maritime law stipulating that all parties in a sea venture proportionally share any extraordinary sacrifice incurred to preserve the vessel and cargo—traces its statutory origins to the Roman Digest's incorporation of the lex Rhodia de jactu. Under classical Roman jurisprudence, as articulated by the jurist Paulus, if goods were deliberately jettisoned to lighten a foundering ship, the loss was not borne solely by the owner of the discarded freight. Instead, the shipmaster could retain remaining cargo through a possessory lien until all cargo owners and the vessel owner contributed their apportioned shares. Crucially, the Roman framework required two strict prerequisites: an imminent peril threatening the entire collective enterprise, and a deliberate sacrifice executed by human agency. Accidental losses, such as cargo washed overboard by high seas or equipment damaged by routine wear, were deemed particular average and fell exclusively on the individual owner.

During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the resurgence of Mediterranean and Atlantic maritime commerce necessitated more granular codifications, leading to distinct regional evolutions of the ancient rule. In northern Europe, the Rolls of Oléron introduced strict procedural formalities governing the master's decision to sacrifice cargo. According to the Rolls, a master contemplating a jettison was legally obligated to consult the merchant passengers or supercargoes aboard. If the merchants consented, the jettison proceeded with standard contribution rules; if they objected, the master was still empowered to act unilaterally, but only after making a formal declaration under oath upon reaching the destination port, swearing that the action was taken solely to preserve human life and the remaining hull.

In contrast, the Mediterranean tradition codified in the fourteenth-century Consolat de Mar of Barcelona established a more intricate valuation formula for apportioning liability. While Roman law evaluated both sacrificed and saved goods at their purchase price, the Consolat implemented a bifurcated valuation: if the sacrifice occurred before the voyage completed half its scheduled distance, items were appraised at their original port-of-origin cost; if the jettison occurred in the latter half of the voyage, the calculation was based on their projected market value at the destination port. Furthermore, the Consolat explicitly exempted the personal effects and daily garments of crew members and passengers from contributing to the general average assessment, reasoning that essential personal necessities should not be burdened by commercial liabilities.

Based on the passage, which of the following actions was required of a shipmaster under the Rolls of Oléron if cargo was jettisoned despite objections from merchants on board?