APEC Marine Debrisrisks, regulation & the IMO regime

Shipping in society & the global economy

• Global, multi-national & gargantuan

• Carries >90% world trade

• Underpins global economic development

• 85,000 ships in world fleet

• 5.4 billion tonnes cargo / year

• Modern society totally shipping dependant

• Shipping /fishing most intensive human use of the seas

• Active in all maritime zones

Environmental impacts of shipping

• Shipping most energy-efficient, cost-effective & ecologically sound mode of freight transport

• Net environmental costs/benefits per unit cargo carried

• However, can still cause major impacts

Environmental impacts of shipping

Different ship types = different impacts, e.g.:

Tankers – risk of major spills, little sewage & garbage

Cruise liners – minor risk of spills, major sewage & garbage

Pollution accidents & emergencies

• Global media focus• However, not a severe as

ongoing, chronic pollution such as ‘operational’ discharges, inc. garbage / marine debris

Garbage / marine debris

• 6.4 million tonnes / year globally• 5.6 million tonnes from shipping• 46,000 pieces of plastic / square mile• 3 x more garbage into ocean as fish

taken out• N Pacific – 6 pounds of plastic for

every pound of plankton near surface• Significant wildlife impacts• Transfer fouling species• High seas convergence zones

International regulatory regimeUNCLOS:

• 69 of 320 Articles relate directly to shipping

• Freedom of navigation• Right of innocent passage• Flag State control• Part XII – inc. controls on pollution &

discharges

IMO RegimeSpecialised agency of the UN

IMO Conventions• MARPOL 73 / 78• Annex V deals with garbage • Applies to ALL vessels, as per below:

MARPOL 73/78

• Annex V requires waste reception facilities in ports

• Lack of these is MAJOR problem

Technical Guidelines & Manuals

Ship-board Management Plans

MARPOL Special Areas

The North SeaThe Baltic Sea

The Black Sea*

The Mediterranean Sea*The Gulf Area*

The Red Sea*

The Antarctic south of 60oS is a Special Area for Annexes I, II and V

Wider Caribbean*

The areas marked (*) have not been enforced as Special Areas in all respects due to lack of adequate reception facilities (the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea have obtained the full Special Area status for Annex I).

Additional Annex V Restrictions in Special Areas

Malpelo IslandGreat Barrier Reef

Sabana-Camaguey

Florida Keys

PSSAs

Wadden Sea

PSSAs

• IMO Assembly Resolution A.972(22)

‘The criteria relate to PSSAs within and beyond the limits of the territorial sea. They can be used by IMO to designate PSSAs beyond the territorial sea with a view to the adoption of international protective measures regarding pollution and other damage caused by ships’

Last 50 years - performance to date

Governance gaps

• IMO regime highly successful in reducing shipping accidents, oil pollution & sea dumping

• Largely ineffective at addressing marine debris (distance from land / compliance enforcement / poor waste reception in ports

• Cultural change required – human element

Governance gaps

• MARPOL distances from land criteria reinforce “out of sight, out of mind”mentality’

Governance needs• Better implementation of existing regime

• Overhaul MARPOL – move away from distance from land philosophy

• Creative approaches to address marine debris

• More coastal and port State control with better flag State implementation (satellite monitoring?)

Huge education effort needed

Encourage industry initiatives / non-regulatory incentives

Ultimate objective

Shipping / fishing is global

Oceans are inter-connected

Garbage / marine debris• Must be addressed in a, strategic, integrated

manner• As part of a ‘total oceans management’ regime

www.imo.orgwww.imo.org