MARPOL

MARPOL Annex V – new Wider Caribbean special area takes effect from May 1, 2011

Statutory alert

Applicability  All shipowners, operators and charterers

Information 

On May 1, 2011, the garbage discharge provisions for special areas under MARPOL Annex V will become effective for the Wider Caribbean*.

At the 60th session of the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) in March 2010 it was agreed that adequate reception facilities for garbage are now available in the Wider Caribbean area under the Annex V provisions, and therefore the garbage discharge provisions for special areas can be implemented.

MARPOL Annex V states that within a special area garbage may only be disposed of as follows:

“(a). disposal into the sea of the following is prohibited:

(i). all plastics, including but not limited to synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets, plastic garbage bags and incinerator ashes from plastic products which may contain toxic or heavy metal residues; and

(ii). all other garbage, including paper products, rags, glass, metal, bottles, crockery, dunnage, lining and packing materials;

(b). except as provided in subparagraph (c) disposal into the sea of food wastes shall be made as far as practicable from land, but in any case not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land;

(c). disposal into the Wider Caribbean Region of food wastes which have been passed through a comminuter or grinder shall be made as far as practicable from land, but in any case not less than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land. Comminuted or ground food wastes shall be capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater than 25 millimetres.”

proper including the bays and seas therein and that portion of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundary constituted by the 30° N parallel from Florida eastward to 77°30′ W meridian, thence a rhumb line to the intersection of 20° N parallel and 59° W meridian, thence a rhumb line to the intersection of 7°20′ N parallel and 50° W meridian, thence a rhumb line drawn south-westerly to the eastern boundary of French Guiana.
 * The Wider Caribbean is defined by MARPOL Annex V as the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea