Service also advised the Commission that a meeting to 

 identify program needs for 1987 would be held in September 

 1986. Subsequently, Congress appropriated an additional 

 $750,000 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- 

 tration to continue needed research and management measures 

 in Fiscal Year 1987. It again directed that the Service 

 develop a program plan with the cooperation and concurrence 

 of the Marine Mammal Commission. 



The Service's Fiscal Year 1987 Entanglement Research 

 Program planning meeting was held on 24-25 September 1986 in 

 Seattle, Washington. During the meeting, representatives of 

 the Commission and the Service reviewed information on the 

 status and results of tasks undertaken during 1985 and 1986. 

 They also considered draft scopes of work for 19 proposed 

 projects which the Service's Entanglement Program Manager had 

 distributed in advance of the meeting. Among other things, 

 it was agreed that a second meeting should be held involving 

 other Federal agencies, industry groups, and environmental 

 organizations to consider cooperative efforts that might be 

 undertaken to facilitate development of appropriate mitiga- 

 tion measures. A Commission representative also participated 

 in that meeting, which was held on 16-17 December in Seattle. 

 Based on the results of these planning meetings, the Service 

 is expected to develop a Fiscal Year 1987 Entanglement 

 Research Program Plan which it will provide to the Commission 

 for review and approval early in 1987. 



U.S. Efforts to Ratify MARPOL Annex V 



In 1978, negotiations were concluded on a Protocol 

 amending the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention 

 of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) . The Protocol includes five 

 Annexes, each of which addresses a certain type of vessel 

 pollution. At the conclusion of the negotiations, the 

 Protocol was opened for ratification by signatory nations. 

 On 2 July 1980, the U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent 

 to the Protocol, including Annexes I and II, and, on 22 July 

 1980, the President signed the instrument of ratification. 

 The Protocol, including Annex I entered into force on 2 

 October 1983 and Annex II is scheduled to enter into force on 

 6 April 1987. The remaining three Annexes require separate 

 ratification and have not entered into force. 



Annex V, which provides for regulations to prevent 

 pollution from garbage by ships, is of particular relevance 

 to the problem of plastic pollution. Among other things, 

 provisions of the Annex would prohibit, subject to certain 

 exceptions, "...the disposal into the sea of all plastics, 

 including but not limited to synthetic ropes, synthetic 

 fishing nets and plastic garbage bags...." The importance of 

 this Annex was highlighted in the aforementioned Commission 



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