IMO has committed to address the problem that plastics are posing to the marine environment, by adopting an action plan to enhance current regulations and establish new supporting measures to limit marine plastic litter from ships.
On 26 October, MEPC adopted the action plan, to contribute to the global solution for preventing marine plastic litter entering the oceans through ship based activities.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Recognizing that more needs to be done to address the environmental and health problems from marine plastic litter, MEPC agreed actions to be completed by 2025. The action plan supports IMO’s commitment to meet the targets set in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) on the oceans.
IMO Action Plan to address marine plastic litter
The Action Plan notes that marine plastic litter enters the marine environment because of land- and sea-based activities. Both macroplastics and microplastics remain in the marine environment and cause harmful effects on marine life and biodiversity.
The Action Plan provides a mechanism to identify specific results, and actions to achieve them. The plan is based on existing policy and regulatory frameworks, and identifies opportunities to enhance these frameworks and introduce new supporting measures to address the issue of marine plastic litter from ships.
Specific identified measures include:
- A proposed study on marine plastic litter from ships;
- Looking into the availability and adequacy of port reception facilities;
- Consideration of making marking of fishing gear mandatory, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
- Promoting reporting the loss of fishing gear;
- Facilitating the delivery of retrieved fishing gear to shore facilities;
- Reviewing provisions related to the training of fishing vessel personnel and familiarization of seafarers to ensure awareness of the impact of marine plastic litter;
- Consideration of the establishment of a compulsory mechanism to declare loss of containers at sea and identify number of losses
enhancing public awareness; and - Strengthening international cooperation, in particular FAO and UN Environment.
Reduction of marine plastic litter generated from fishing vessels
Measures include:
- Making the IMO ship identification number mandatory for fishing vessels over a certain size;
- Making marking of fishing gear with the IMO Ship Identification Number mandatory, in cooperation with FAO;
- Investigate logging of the identification number for each item of fishing gear on board a fishing vessel;
- Remind States to collect information on any discharge or accidental loss of fishing gear;
- Consider the development of best management practice to facilitate incentives for fishing vessels to retrieve derelict fishing gear and deliver it to port reception facilities, in collaboration with FAO.
Reduction of shipping’s contribution to marine plastic litter
Measures include:
- Review the application of placards, garbage management plans and garbage record-keeping in MARPOL Annex V;
- Consider establishing compulsory mechanism to declare loss of containers and identify number of losses; and
- Consider ways to communicate location of containers lost overboard.
Effectiveness of port reception and facilities and treatment in reducing marine plastic litter
Measures include:
- The requirement for port reception facilities to provide for separate garbage collection for plastic waste from ships, including fishing gear to facilitate reuse or recycling;
- Mechanisms to enhance the enforcement of MARPOL Annex V requirements for the delivery of garbage to reception facilities;
- Development of tools to support the implementation of cost frameworks associated with port reception facilities;
- Encourage Member States to effectively implement their obligation to provide adequate facilities at ports and terminals for the reception of garbage;
- Consider the impact on Small Island Developing States and on remote locations such as polar regions when planning for the disposal of waste to land-based facilities.
Enhance public awareness
Measures include:
- Consider ways to promote the work of IMO to address marine plastic litter generated from ships;
- Consider reviewing fishing vessel personnel training to ensure that all fishing vessel personnel, before being assigned any shipboard duties, receive basic training on marine environment awareness oriented on marine plastic litter including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear;
- Consider amending the IMO model course on environmental awareness to specifically address marine plastic litter.
Improved understanding of the contribution of ships to marine plastic litter
Measures include:
- Extending the reporting requirement MARPOL Annex V to include reporting data on discharge or accidental loss of fishing gear by the flag State to IMO;
- Encourage Member States and international organizations that have conducted any scientific research related to marine litter to share the results of such research, including any information on the areas contaminated by marine litter from ships;
- Conduct a study on marine plastic litter, including macro and microplastics, from all ships;
- Invite Member States and international organizations to undertake studies to better understand microplastics from ships.
Improving the understanding of the regulatory framework regarding marine plastic litter
- Development of a regulatory framework matrix for the purpose of a gap analysis.
Strengthened international cooperation
- Make information available to the United National Environment Agency (UNEA);
- Continue work with other United Nations bodies and agencies, in particular FAO and UN Environment, as well as with international fora, which are active in the matter of marine plastic litter from shipping, such as through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML).
Technical cooperation and capacity-building
- Implement issues related to the action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships in the context of IMO technical cooperation and capacity building activities;
- Establish externally funded major projects under the auspices of IMO in support of the action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships.