Over the past decade, the Commission also devoted 

 substantial effort in other areas. For example, it worked 

 closely with the State Department, the Coast Guard, and the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service to secure U.S. ratification of 

 Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of 

 Pollution from Ships (see below) which prohibits disposal of 

 plastics into the sea from ships. The Commission also helped the 

 Service develop the initial plan of activities undertaken in the 

 Marine Entanglement Research Program. From its own budget, the 

 Commission has supported various research and study activities 

 designed to address the problem. 



Domestic Activities in 1989 



During 1989, the Commission continued to help strengthen 

 domestic programs to address debris-related problems. In 

 particular, it continued to work with the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service to develop and implement the Marine 

 Entanglement Research Program and it helped the Coast Guard to 

 develop the domestic program to implement MARPOL Annex V. 



The U.S. Marine Entanglement Research Program 



As noted earlier, Congress has appropriated funds to the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service since 1985 to support efforts 

 to resolve problems created by marine debris. In appropriating 

 those funds, Congress directed that the Service obtain the 

 concurrence of the Marine Mammal Commission on how those funds 

 were to be spent. Thus, in 1985, the Commission, in consultation 

 with the Service, developed a program plan outlining priority 

 tasks to be undertaken during the first year of work. Since 

 then, the Commission has reviewed annual plans drafted by the 

 Service to carry that program forward. The approved plans have 

 been carried out as the Service's Marine Entanglement Research 

 Program. 



In Fiscal Year 1985, Congress appropriated $1,000,000 to the 

 Service for the first year of work. For each of Fiscal Years 

 1986 and 1987, Congress appropriated $750,000 to the Service and, 

 for each of Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989, it appropriated $706,000. 

 The reduction in 1988 was due to the requirements of the Balanced 

 Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act. 



In June 1988, the Marine Mammal Commission participated in a 

 meeting convened by the Service to review the status and results 

 of research undertaken to date and to identify priority tasks for 

 funding in Fiscal Year 1989. Based on results of the meeting, 

 the Service forwarded a proposed program plan to the Commission 

 in December 1988. The Plan proposed allocating $702,700 among 21 

 tasks, including 13 continuing research projects and eight new 

 research tasks. On 23 December 1988, the Commission advised the 



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