The measure provides that fishing vessels operating in the Convention Area are strictly prohibited from disposing of plastics into the sea, in line with MARPOL Annex V regulations. There are exceptions for cases involving vessel safety, saving lives at sea, or accidental loss due to damage to the vessel or equipment, provided that reasonable precautions were taken. Any resulting plastic residue must be stored on board until proper disposal at suitable port reception facilities, with strict prohibition against discarding at sea. Additionally, fishing vessels are forbidden from dumping various materials into the sea, including oil, fuel products, garbage, avian products, sewage, incineration ash, offal, discards, and specific food waste. Fish or organisms with high survival expectations, as well as benthic organisms, may only be returned to the sea after adhering to relevant conservation measures and reporting requirements. The text consists of 10 Articles.
2022-01-01