Annex 1 - Grouping of Short-, Mid-, Long-Term and Continuous Actions of the Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Marine Environment Protection Committee - Resolution MEPC.341(77) - Strategy to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships - (adopted on 26 November 2021) - Annex 1 - Grouping of Short-, Mid-, Long-Term and Continuous Actions of the Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships

Annex 1 - Grouping of Short-, Mid-, Long-Term and Continuous Actions of the Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships

Outcome Actions
Short-term actions
4 Reduction of marine plastic litter generated from, and retrieved by, fishing vessels Preparation of a circular reminding IMO Member States to collect information from their registered fishing vessels regarding any discharge or accidental loss of fishing gear
7 Review the application of placards, garbage management plans and garbage record-keeping (regulation 10, MARPOL Annex V), for example making the Garbage Record Book mandatory for ships of 100 GT and above
8 Preparation of a circular reminding Member States to enforce MARPOL Annex V on fishing vessels through PSC measures

Encourage port State control MoUs to develop PSC procedures that include fishing vessels

9 Reduction of shipping's contribution to marine plastic litter Review the application of placards, garbage management plans and garbage record-keeping (regulation 10, MARPOL Annex V), for example making the Garbage Record Book mandatory for ships of 100 GT and above
10 Consider the establishment of a compulsory system of formatted declarations of the loss of containers and the means on board to easily identify the exact number of losses

Also, consider establishing an obligation to report through a standardized procedure the loss of containers

11 Consider ways to communicate the location of containers lost overboard based on additional information to be provided by interested parties
13 Consider enhancing the enforcement of MARPOL Annex V, including, where possible, through a risk-based approach
17 Improvement of the effectiveness of port reception and facilities and treatment in reducing marine plastic litter IMO to encourage Member States to effectively implement their obligation to provide adequate facilities at ports and terminals for the reception of garbage, as required by regulation 8 of MARPOL Annex V

Take into consideration work being undertaken under the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972 (London Convention or LC) and its 1996 Protocol (London Protocol or LP) (LC/LP) on this issue

19 Enhanced public awareness, education and seafarer training Consider ways to promote the work of IMO to address marine plastic litter generated from ships
20 Consider tasking the HTW Sub-Committee with reviewing chapter III of STCW-F (Basic safety training for all fishing vessel personnel) to ensure that all fishing vessel personnel, before being assigned any shipboard duties, receive basic training on marine environment awareness oriented on marine plastic litter including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG)
21 Consider how the model course "Marine Environmental Awareness 1.38" could be amended/revised to specifically address marine plastic litter

Further consider how to ensure familiarization of all seafarers within the existing STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) minimum requirements and taking into account existing best practice, guidelines and programmes

22 Improved understanding of the contribution of ships to marine plastic litter Consider extending the reporting requirement in regulation 10.6 of MARPOL Annex V to include reporting data on discharge or accidental loss of fishing gear by the flag State to IMO via GISIS or other means, if appropriate
23 Encourage Member States and international organizations that have conducted any scientific research related to marine litter to share the results of such research, including any information on the areas contaminated by marine litter from ships
24 Conduct a study on marine plastic litter, including macro and microplastics, from all ships
25 Invite Member States and international organizations to undertake studies to better understand microplastics from ships
26 Improved understanding of the regulatory framework associated with marine plastic litter from ships Consider the development of a regulatory framework matrix for the purpose of a gap analysis
27 Strengthened international cooperation Make information available to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
28 Continue work with other United Nations bodies and agencies, as well as with international forums, which are active in the matter of marine plastic litter from shipping, such as through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML)
Mid-term actions
2 Consider making mandatory, through an appropriate IMO instrument (e.g. MARPOL Annex V), the marking of fishing gear with the IMO Ship Identification Number, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
3 Further investigate logging of the identification number for each item of fishing gear on board a fishing vessel
5 Consider the development of best management practice to facilitate incentives for fishing vessels to retrieve derelict fishing gear and deliver it to port reception facilities, in collaboration with FAO
6 Consider the issue of waste that has been collected during fishing operations building on experience gathered from established projects
14 Improvement of the effectiveness of port reception and facilities and treatment in reducing marine plastic litter Consider the requirement for port reception facilities to provide for separate garbage collection for plastic waste from ships, including fishing gear to facilitate reuse or recycling
15 Improvement of the effectiveness of port reception and facilities and treatment in reducing marine plastic litter Consider mechanisms to enhance the enforcement of MARPOL Annex V requirements for the delivery of garbage to reception facilities
16 Consider the development of tools to support the implementation of cost frameworks associated with port reception facilities, taking into account the need to not create disincentives for the use of port reception facilities, the potential benefits of cost incentives that provide no additional fees based on volume and identifying waste types that can be reduced, reused or recycled through schemes that identify waste revenue
17 Consider facilitating the mandatory use of port waste management plans to ensure the provision of adequate waste reception facilities

Encourage Member States to address the entire process of plastic garbage handling and ensure that landed garbage is managed in a sustainable manner ashore

Identify information from the port waste management plans that can be shared via the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS)

18 Further consider the impact on small island developing States and on remote locations such as polar regions when planning for the disposal of waste to land-based facilities
Long-term actions
1 Reduction of marine plastic litter generated from, and retrieved by, fishing vessels Consider making the IMO Ship Identification Number Scheme mandatory for all fishing vessels over 24 metres in length through an amendment to the Cape Town Agreement once it enters into force

Encourage the ratification of the Cape Town agreement

12 Reduction of shipping's contribution to marine plastic litter Consider the most appropriate instrument to address the responsibility and liability for plastic consumer goods lost at sea from ships
Continuous actions
29 Targeted technical cooperation and capacity-building Address implementation issues related to the Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships in the context of IMO technical cooperation and capacity-building activities
30 Consider the establishment of externally funded major projects under the auspices of IMO in support of the action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships
1 Reduction of marine plastic litter generated from, and retrieved by, fishing vessels Encourage the ratification of the Cape Town agreement
Parent topic: Resolution MEPC.341(77) - Strategy to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships - (adopted on 26 November 2021)
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