MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1991 



bers of marine animals strangled, drowned, starved, 

 or choked by marine debris. 



However, plastic and other types of debris may be 

 concentrated by disposal patterns, winds, and ocean 

 currents on beaches, in drift lines, and along current 

 margins where marine mammals and other species are 

 most likely to occur. In addition, many species 

 actively seek out debris because of associated prey 

 species attracted to the cover it provides, its resem- 

 blance to prey, or because it represents objects of 

 play. Thus, encounters between marine life and 

 debris are often not chance occurrences, but rather the 

 result of purposeful responses on the part of the 

 animals involved. At the same time, however, 

 evidence of encounters may not be readily apparent 

 because animals that are killed may sink below the 

 surface, be eaten by predators, be scattered by their 

 own movements after becoming entangled and before 

 dying, or remain offshore or underwater where they 

 are not likely to be found. 



Widespread concern over the extent to which 

 marine debris pollution was affecting marine life can 

 be traced to a November 1984 Workshop on the Fate 

 and Impact of Marine Debris convened by the Nation- 

 al Marine Fisheries Service. The Commission's role 

 in recommending and guiding development of that 

 Workshop is discussed in previous Annual Reports. 

 The Workshop proceedings clearly demonstratal that 

 marine debris was a widespread form of marine 

 pollution posing serious threats to a wide array of 

 marine species. 



In light of the workshop findings and other infor- 

 mation. Congress provided ftmds to the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service in 1985 to begin a Marine 

 Entanglement Research Program. The program, 

 which has been carried forward annually since 1985, 

 is one of only two U.S. programs directed explicitly 

 at addressing research and management needs relating 

 to marine debris pollution. The other program is part 

 of the Navy's research and development program. 

 The Navy has dedicated extensive resources to devel- 

 op trash compactors, pulpers, plastic waste proces- 

 sors, and other hardware for handling and processing 

 solid wastes generated during the course of routine 

 vessel operations. By virtue of this program, the 

 Navy has become the leader in developing and apply- 



ing technological solutions to address new discharge 

 standards pertaining to ship-generated garbage. 



In addition. Federal agencies, including the Marine 

 Mammal Commission, and Congress accelerated U.S. 

 efforts to ratify and implement Annex V of the 

 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollu- 

 tion from Ships. Annex V establishes an international 

 framework for regulating the disposal of garbage from 

 ships. Among other things, it prohibits the discharge 

 of all plastics at sea. Its provisions apply to all ships 

 (other than military vessels) registered with signatory 

 nations anywhere in the world and to all ships (foreign 

 and domestic) within waters of a signatory nation. 



Although Armex V was part of a Convention 

 Protocol concluded and opened for signature in 1978, 

 most countries, including the United States, made 

 minimal efforts to vigorously pursue ratification and 

 entry into force prior to the mid-1980s. This appears 

 to be due to a prevailing view that ship-generated 

 garbage was principally an aesthetic problem, atten- 

 tion to which could be deferred pending progress on 

 other more serious ship pollution issues. Given the 

 results of the 1984 Workshop on the Fate and Impact 

 of Marine Debris, however, tiiis view changed quickly 

 and, on 31 December 1987, the United States deposit- 

 ed its instrument of ratification for Annex V. 



U.S. ratification brought the number of nations 

 acceding to Annex V to 31. Collectively, those 

 nations represented more than half of the world's 

 commercial shipping tonnage. These levels satisfied 

 the criteria for Annex V's entry into force internation- 

 ally, and it triggered a one-year period during which 

 acceding nations were to adopt the domestic regula- 

 tions necessary to give effect to the provisions of 

 Annex V within theu" areas of jurisdiction. Thus, on 

 31 December 1988, regulatory measures in Annex V 

 became binding upon signatory nations. 



Although it is not clear what proportion of marine 

 debris originates from routine ship disposal practices, 

 disposal of ship-generated garbage at sea has been a 

 standard practice for centuries. It also is likely that 

 ships are the principal source of at least some of the 

 materials (e.g., net fragments) most hazardous to 

 wildlife. Effective implementation of the provisions 



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