plastics, recycling plastic containers, and deposits on 

 plastic Isottles, the Comitiission suggested that, pending the 

 results of the proposed study of alternative solutions, it 

 might be premature to adopt a regulatory program to control 

 plastic pollution. The Commission therefore concluded that 

 the approach set forth in H.R. 5380 may be more appropriate 

 than that of H.R. 5422 at this time. 



International Activities 



Plastic debris enters the world's oceans from ships and 

 coastlines of all coastal nations and many of the most 

 harmful plastic materials float and may be carried hundreds 

 or thousands of miles from their point of origin by ocean 

 currents. Therefore, successful resolution of the marine 

 debris problem will necessitate cooperative action at the 

 international level. Recognizing this, the Commission, in 

 cooperation with other Federal agencies, has made a special 

 effort to bring the problem of plastic debris to the atten- 

 tion of individuals and organizations of other countries 

 through international workshops and meetings to review 

 information on the problem; international bodies with 

 regulatory authority for controlling the discharge of 

 plastics into the sea; and international research programs 

 that would help encourage and coordinate efforts to collect 

 data on the amounts and effects of marine debris. 



Workshops and Meetings 



Because of the global significance of the marine debris 

 problem, it is important to ensure that new information 

 documenting the problem is available to the international 

 community. This provides a logical basis from which to 

 encourage cooperative action. A significant step in this 

 regard was achieved through the International Workshop on the 

 Fate and Impact of Marine Debris, held in November 1984 in 

 Honolulu, Hawaii. At the Workshop, information on all 

 aspects of the problem was considered collectively for the 

 first time. The resulting findings and recommendations 

 marked a turning point in recognition and perception of the 

 significance of the problem. The Commission's role in 

 proposing and organizing the Workshop is described in its 

 past Annual Reports. 



Recognizing the need to consider the results of research 

 and analyses undertaken since the 1984 workshop, the problem 

 of polluting marine areas with persistent plastics was the 

 subject of two special sessions of the Sixth International 

 Ocean Disposal Symposium held in Pacific Grove, California, 

 on 21-25 April 1986. Partial support for the Symposium was 

 provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- 



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