prevention of marine litter pollution

PREVENTION OF MARINE LITTER POLLUTION

UNDER IMO CONVENTIONS

THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FORTHE PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM

SHIPS, 1973, AS MODIFIED BY THEPROTOCOLS OF 1978 AND 1997

RELATING THERETOIn short:

The MARPOL Convention

OBJECTIVES

To explain the reasons why it is imperative that Global Marine Litter Pollution should be addressed with utmost urgency.

To explain the reasons why Marine Litter Pollution is becoming a serious problem to the Oceans.

THE CARGO NETWORK Nearly 90 % of worldwide trade is

made possible through ships.

Products and goods have to be moved because of global industrialization.

GOODS AND PRODUCTS HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED GLOBALLY FROM A MANUFACTURING COUNTRY TO A

CONSUMER COUNTRY.

THE DEMAND FOR SHIPS INCREASED BECAUSE OF GLOBAL INDUSTRIALIZATION

SHIP OWNERS WANT BIGGER SHIPS

THEY ARE BUILDING SHIPS BIGGER AND BIGGER

THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ROUTES

Ships pulling in and out of ports pick up and discharge materials that have cost the United States alone an estimated $120 billion per year in damaged ecosystems.

This new map brings those 30 trillion ton-miles (and growing) into focus, revealing that the busiest ports are in the Panama

Canal, the Suez Canal, Shanghai and Singapore.

THE GARBAGE THAT SHIPS DISCHARGE AT SEAS

OIL SLICKS FROM OILY BALLAST TANKS

AIR POLLUTION

ANNEX VPREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY

GARBAGE FROM SHIPS

Time taken for objects to dissolve at sea:

Paper bus ticket 2-4 weeksCotton cloth 1-5 monthsRope 3-14 monthsWoolen cloth 1 yearPainted wood 13 yearsTin can 100 yearsAluminum can 200-500 yearsPlastic bottle 450 years

Source: Hellenic Marine Environemnt Protection Association (HELMEPA)

THE NORTH PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

SHIP GARBAGE REACH THE SHORES

ANNEXES TO MARPOL

Annex I: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil.

Annex II: Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk .

Annex III: Regulations for the Prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried at sea in packaged form.

Annex IV: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships.

Annex V: Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Garbage from Ships.

Annex VI: Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from ships.

MARPOL ANNEX V

REGULATIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF POLLUTION BY

GARBAGE FROM SHIPSTwo important definitions:Garbage:“All kinds of victual, domestic and operational waste including

fresh fish and parts thereof, generated during the normal operation of the ship and liable to be disposed of” which are not covered by other Annexes.

Ship:“vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the marine

environment, including hydrofoil boats, air Cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft and fixed or floating platforms”. So, it also means fishing vessels and pleasure craft.

SPECIAL AREAS UNDER MARPOL ANNEX V

(REGULATION 1(3))

ANNEX I(Oil)

ANNEX II(Bulk chemicals)

ANNEX V(Garbage)

ANNEX VI(Air Pollution)

Mediterranean Sea Baltic Sea Mediterranean Sea Baltic Sea (19.05.2006)

Black Sea Black Sea Black Sea North Sea (22.11.2007)

Baltic Sea Antarctic Area Baltic Sea

Red Sea Red Sea

Gulfs Area Gulfs Area

Gulf of Aden North Sea

Antarctic Sea Wider Caribbean Region

Northwest European Waters

Antarctic Sea

Special Area means a sea area where for recognized technical reasons in relation to its oceanographic and ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic the adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution by garbage is required.

CONTROL OF DISPOSAL IN SPECIAL AREAS

Obligations for ships (flag State)

Disposal PROHIBITED EVERYWHERE:•All plastics, including ropes, fishing

nets, bags, incinerator ashes, etc.•All other garbage, including paper,

rags, glass metal, bottles, crockery, dunnage, lining and packing materials.

•Mixtures of garbage and other wastes with different discharge requirements.

Disposal PROHIBITED WITHIN 12 MILES FROM LAND:

•Food wastes (in the Wider Caribbean, 3 miles if food wastes are ground to 25mm)

CONTROL OF DISPOSAL IN SPECIAL AREAS (CONT’D)

Obligations for coastal States

-Provision of adequate reception facilities in all their ports

-Notify IMO of such provision (necessary for Special Area to become effective)

Special obligations in Antarctica

-Flag State: Sufficient capacity on board

-Coastal State: Adequate reception facilities in specific ports

CONTROL OF DISPOSAL OUTSIDE SPECIAL AREA

Obligations for ships (flag State)Disposal PROHIBITED EVERYWHERE:-All plastics, including ropes, fishing nets,

bags, incinerator ashes, etc.-Mixtures of garbage and other wastes

with different disposal or discharge requirements.


-Floating dunnage, lining and packing materials.


-Food wastes and other garbage, including paper, rags, glass metal,

bottles, crockery, etc. Permitted outside 3 miles from land if ground to 25mm.

All ships of 400 gross tonnage and above andevery ship certified to carry 15 persons ormore will have to carry a GarbageManagement Plan, to include writtenprocedures for collecting , storing, processingand disposing of garbage, including the use ofany relevant equipment fitted onboard(incinerators, compactors, comminuters).

The Garbage Management Plan shoulddesignate the person responsible for carryingout the plan and should be in the workinglanguage of the crew.(regulation 9(2))

SHIPBOARD GARBAGE MANAGEMENT

GARBAGE RECORD BOOK

PORT STATE CONTROL(REGULATION 8)

• Ships, when in foreign ports, are subject to control by the port State.

• Port State control officers may inspect ship if there are clear grounds that master or crew are not familiar with essential procedures, including Garbage Record Book.

• Ship may be detained until situation is rectified.

SO, UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW…

• Discharge/disposal anywhere at sea of plastic-derived garbage is prohibited under the MARPOL Convention.

• Dumping of plastic or synthetic materialsanywhere at sea is prohibited under theLondon Convention/Protocol.

THANK YOU

prevention of marine litter pollution

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