The Australian Maritime Safety Authority published a notice, in order to provide general information, to shipowners, masters and crews, on the Australian legislative requirements that implement Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the 2012 Guidelines for the Implementation of MARPOL Annex V and other relevant IMO guidance.
The 2012 Guidelines for the Implementation of MARPOL Annex V (as amended in 2012) were developed to assist shipowners, ship operators, ships’ crews, cargo owners and equipment manufacturers in complying with certain requirements set out in Annex V of MARPOL. This includes the management of cargo residues, cleaning agents or additives, and the treatment of animal carcasses. The Guidelines also provide information on all aspects of garbage management, such as waste minimisation, shipboard garbage handling and storage, shipboard treatment of garbage (e.g. grinding or comminution, compaction and incineration).
Under MARPOL Annex V, garbage includes all kinds of food wastes, domestic wastes and operational wastes, all plastics, cargo residues, incinerator ashes, cooking oil, fishing gear, and animal carcasses generated during the normal operation of the ship.
The general context is that disposal of all garbage into the sea from ships is prohibited, except in some limited circumstances. The possible cases of discharge permission include exceptional situations in general garbage and fishing gear.
There are substantial penalties for MARPOL breaches in the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, including the power to detain vessels. A detention requires the owner to post an undertaking of considerable financial security.
Detailed information may be found in the following notice:
Source: AMSA
