MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1991 



Mexico, be listed as a Special Area. In support of 

 listing the Gulf of Mexico as a Special Area for 

 purposes of Annex V, the Environmental Protection 

 Agency prepared a summary of technical information 

 that the Coast Guard submitted for the 29th Session of 

 the Marine Enviroimient Protection Committee in 

 March 1990. 



men who are citizens of signatory nations or fishing 

 in waters of signatory nations are responsible for any 

 synthetic materials they may lose at sea, whether 

 deliberately or accidentally. 



At the 30th Session of the Committee in November 

 1990, a proposed amendment to designate the Wider 

 Caribbean Region, including the Gulf of Mexico as a 

 Special Area, was developed by a drafting committee 

 and circulated for review by member govenmients. 

 Recognizing that all countries in the region may not 

 develop port reception facilities within the same 

 timeframe, the proposal provides that Special Area 

 status may be conferred to sub-regions, such as the 

 Gulf of Mexico, once nations around that sub-region 

 notify the International Maritime Organization that 

 adequate reception facilities exist. 



During its 31st Session in July 1991, the Commit- 

 tee adopted the proposed amendment, which is now 

 being considered under the tacit amendment process. 

 It will be considered accepted on 4 October 1992 

 unless nations representing more than 50 percent of 

 the world commercial shipping tonnage file objec- 

 tions. Assuming the amendment is accepted, the new 

 Special Area would be added to regulation five of 

 Aimex V on 4 April 1993. As no nations around the 

 Gulf of Mexico or other subregions of the Wider 

 Caribbean area have affirmed to the International 

 Maritime Organization that adequate port reception 

 facilities for garbage are in place, it is not clear when 

 Special Area standards would become effective. 



Other Amendments to Annex V 



At the 28th Session of the Marine Environment 

 Protection Committee in October 1989, the U.S. 

 delegation proposed an amendment to delete an 

 exception to the discharge restrictions. The exception 

 allowed accidental loss of net fragments made of 

 synthetic material that were generated during the 

 course of net repair operations. The amendment was 

 adopted by the Committee and considered under the 

 tacit amendment process. Based on the lack of 

 objections from members, the amendment became 

 effective on 18 February 1991. As a result, fisher- 



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