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4 

 countries regarding prevention and control of ANS and management, 

 research, control, and education efforts. In July of this year, 

 the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine 

 Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) discussed the issue of 

 harmful marine organisms in ballast water. At the Coast Guard's 

 request, NOAA submitted a paper on the Task Force's activities 

 and was represented on the U.S. delegation. MEPC has 

 subsequently recommended a formal working group be convened on 

 the issue to consider further developing IMO's voluntary ballast 

 water guidelines as the basis for an annex to the International 

 Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 

 73/78) . The Task Force will continue to work with IMO on this 

 important issue. MEPC also recommended exploring the possibility 

 of convening an international ballast water symposium. Because 

 NOAA sponsored an international workshop on Nonindigenous 

 Estuarine and Marine Organisms (NEMO) in April 1993, during which 

 the issue of ballast water was raised, the Coast Guard has 

 approached NOAA regarding sponsorship of the ballast water 

 symposium. NOAA would like to sponsor the workshop in 

 conjunction with the Task Force. We have recently approached the 

 Government of Australia, which has been involved in this field 

 for many years, regarding dual sponsorship of such a workshop. 

 The Australians currently are considering the proposal. 



The NEMO workshop was sponsored by NOAA to assist the Task 

 Force's efforts, and the efforts of foreign countries, in 



