since the Workshop on the Fate and Impact of Marine 

 Debris in 1984, there have been substantial efforts in the 

 U.S. and elsewhere to assess and determine how to address 

 various aspects of the problem. To assure that the results 

 of these efforts are known and used to determine continuing 

 research and management priorities, the Commission wrote to 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service on 23 December 1986 

 recommending, among other things, that the Service begin 

 planning a second international workshop on the marine debris 

 problem to be held sometime in 1988. Such a workshop would 

 facilitate information exchange and encourage cooperating 

 international programs to define and deal with the problem. 



Relevant International Conventions 



MARPOL Annex V — As indicated above, entry into force 

 and effective implementation of Annex V of the 1978 Protocol 

 relating to the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution 

 from Ships (MARPOL) offers an important opportunity to 

 establish an international framework for controlling routine 

 at-sea discharges of potentially harmful plastics and other 

 debris. In order to enter into force. Annex V must be 

 ratified by at least 15 nations representing 50 percent of 

 the world's total commercial shipping tonnage. At the end of 

 1986, the Annex had been ratified by 26 nations representing 

 44.6 percent of the world's commercial shipping tonnage. 

 Once the criteria for entry into force have been met, there 

 would be a one-year grace period after which signatory 

 nations would be obligated to have in place domestic regula- 

 tions and programs that are consistent with the provisions of 

 Annex V. As noted above, the U.S. has not ratified the 

 Annex; however, steps have been taken to do so. 



In addition, steps have been taken to strengthen the 

 provisions of Annex V to make them more useful. As noted 

 above. Annex V would prohibit, with certain exceptions, the 

 disposal of synthetic fishing nets and other plastic items 

 from ships. One of the exceptions would allow operators of 

 fishing vessels to discard synthetic material produced 

 incidental to the repair of fishing nets. To eliminate this 

 exception, the U.S. delegation to the 22nd Session of the 

 MEPC, held in London, England, in December 1985, proposed 

 that Annex V be amended by deleting this exception. The 

 proposal was agreed to by the MEPC Working Group on Optional 

 Annexes, which further agreed that the proposal should be 

 raised with the full Committee at its 2 3rd Session. Because 

 Annex V had not yet entered into force but already had been 

 ratified by a number of nations, it also was agreed that no 

 additional changes in the language of Annex V, other than the 

 proposal put forward by the U.S., should be considered until 

 after the Annex had entered into force. 



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