IMO aims to tighten up existing regulations on fishing gear to combat marine plastic litter
The IMarEST delegation in attendance at the IMO Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR7) in February reports back on the developments relating to regulations on marine plastic litter.
Discarded fishing gear makes up a large chunk of the plastic waste entering the oceans and emanates directly from the marine industry. With concerns mounting about the damage plastic causes to marine life, IMO sees tightening up existing requirements for reporting fishing gear lost at sea as a ‘low-hanging fruit’ for getting a better picture of how big the problem is.
Such reporting data can improve understanding the scale of the problem and identify geographies where specific mitigation efforts might be focused. Further benefits of data reporting will be the development of baselines so progress can be measured. Furthermore, data reporting will be needed down the line for devising more stringent measures aimed at actually stopping or penalising the practice.
When the IMO Sub-Committee on PPR7 met in February, it asked the Drafting Group on Marine Plastic Litter from Ships to draw up draft terms of reference for a Correspondence Group to look at amending the existing regulation so that requirements for reporting the accidental loss or discharge of fishing gear are followed.
Specifically, the Correspondence Group was asked to come up with ways of amending the relevant sections of MARPOL Annex V (Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) and the 2017 guidelines for its implementation (MEPC.295(71)). The work will concentrate mostly on Regulation 10.6 of the Annex, which sets out the existing requirements on reporting.
In particular, the Correspondence Group will consider suggestions put forward in paper PPR7/17 which proposes changing the text of regulation 10.6 to clarify that reporting requirements will no longer be limited to “accidental” losses or discharges of fishing gear posing a "significant threat to the marine environment or navigation". By removing the references to “accidental” and “significant threat” which are open to different interpretations, the amended 10.6 regulation will apply to all types of loss or discharge of fishing gear.
At the moment, the actual requirement for reporting is left up to Governments and even if more reports had been forthcoming, there is no obligation for member State administrations to pass back collated data to IMO. A voluntary provision exists urging member States to report to the Organization progress made in implementation, including summaries of where gear was lost and, if applicable, actions taken to address the gear loss. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the response so far has been underwhelming. In fact, to date, a grand total of ZERO reports have been filed. To make reporting mandatory, paper PPR7/17 proposes the inclusion of regulation 10.7 which would state that each Party should notify the Organization of the loss or discharge of fishing gear.
The Correspondence Group will report back their progress when PPR meets for its 8th session.
Before closing, member States, NGOs and other international organisations were nudged to share outcomes from any studies they’re doing into marine litter from ships so that the Sub-Committee has as much information and evidence as possible to work with.
Member States were also called on to be more proactive in submitting collated data on discarded fishing gear and in flagging ports capable of accepting and/or recycling end-of-life fishing gear on GISIS, IMO’s searchable database of garbage management facilities.
Through its participation in the Correspondence Group, IMarEST will be closely following progress between meetings.
The IMarEST is steering its activities on this topic through its new Special Interest Group on Marine Plastics and Marine Litter which interested members are warmly encouraged to join.
Read reports on other key issues from the IMarEST delegation in attendance at PPR7: