During the Second International Conference on Marine Debris 

 in April 1989, much new information was presented on experiences 

 in developing port reception facilities for garbage. Much of 

 that information had been developed under National Marine 

 Fisheries Service Marine Entanglement Research Program. Given 

 the new information and the amount of additional information 

 expected in the near future due to initial experiences in 

 implementing Annex V, the Conference Working Group on Law and 

 Policy recommended that the Marine Environment Protection 

 Committee review its Guidelines with a view towards providing 

 additional advice on ways to develop effective port reception 

 facilities. 



On 25 September 1989, the Marine Mammal Commission, in 

 consultation with its Committee of Scientific Advisors wrote to 

 the Coast Guard expressing its view that this recommendation had 

 considerable merit. It noted that, while discharge limitations 

 are clearly the heart of Annex V, broad compliance likely will 

 depend on: (a) educating seagoers as to the need for and 

 provisions of the restrictions, and (b) making compliance as easy 

 as possible by ensuring the availability of convenient port 

 reception facilities. In this context, Annex V requirements and 

 the related section of the Guidelines for port reception 

 facilities are particularly crucial. 



Therefore, to ensure that the best possible advice is 

 provided to encourage and guide development of port reception 

 facilities for garbage, the Commission recommended that the Coast 

 Guard raise the need to strengthen advice on this matter at the 

 29th Session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee 

 scheduled for 12-16 March 1990. To help in this regard, the 

 Commission drafted and enclosed with its 25 September letter to 

 the Coast Guard, a paper which it suggested be submitted by the 

 U.S. delegation for consideration at the Committee's March 1990 

 session. 



The draft paper reviewed new information related to port 

 reception facilities for garbage and noted the importance of 

 strengthening advice concerning: administrative arrangements and 

 procedures for setting up and operating port reception 

 facilities; the types and costs of equipment for receiving and 

 handling ship-generated garbage in port; space requirements and 

 siting considerations for port reception equipment and storage; 

 recovering operating costs; educating port users on the 

 availability and use of port reception facilities; and projecting 

 the amounts and types of garbage likely to be returned to port. 

 To help provide that advice on these matters, the suggested paper 

 recommended that the Committee consider the need to expand the 

 port reception facility section of its Guidelines for Annex V. 

 It also recommended that the Committee ask member governments to 

 provide information on their experiences in developing such 



134 



