MARPOL Annex V – Special Area
Provisions for the Wider
Caribbean Region
Jeff Ramos
RAC/REMPEITC-Carib
International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78)
Annex I – Oil
Annex II – Noxious Liquid Substances (NLS)
Annex III – Harmful Substances in Packaged
Form
Annex IV – Sewage
Annex V – Garbage
Annex VI – Air Pollution
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Annex V - Garbage
• Regulates how ships handle and
dispose of garbage based on
different categories of waste
• The categories are based on the
impact they have on the
environment
• These categories are:
– Plastic
– Floating dunnage, lining or packing
material
– Ground down paper products,
crockery, rags, metal, glass, etc.
– Food waste
– Incinerator ash
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MARPOL 73/78 Annex V
Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships
• Garbage includes all kinds of food, domestic and
operational waste, excluding fresh fish, generated
during the normal operation of the vessel and liable to
be disposed of continuously or periodically
• The disposal of plastics into the sea is prohibited and
garbage discharge of other garbage into coastal
waters and “Special Areas” is severely restricted
• Governments are to ensure the provision of reception
facilities for garbage at ports and terminals
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Normal Discharge Ranges
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Importance of MARPOL Annex V
Time taken for objects to dissolve at
sea
Paper bus ticket
2-4 weeks
Cotton cloth
1-5 months
Rope
3-14 months
Woolen cloth
1 year
Painted wood
13 years
Tin can
100 years
Aluminum can
200-500 years
Plastic bottle
450 years
Annex V Special Areas
• Special Area: A sea area where
for recognized technical reasons
in relation to its oceanographical
and ecological condition and to
the particular character of its
traffic the adoption of special
mandatory methods for the
prevention of sea pollution by
garbage is required
• Prohibits the dumping
of any garbage other
than food waste into the
sea
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Special Areas - MARPOL 73/78
Annex I
(oil)
Mediterranean Sea
Annex II
(bulk chemicals)
Antarctic Area
Annex V
(garbage)
Annex VI
(air pollution)
Mediterranean Sea
Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
North Sea
Black Sea
Black Sea
Red Sea
Red Sea
Gulfs Area
Gulfs Area
Gulf of Aden
North Sea
Antarctic Area
Antarctic Area
North West European Waters
Wider Caribbean
Region
(1/5/09)
Oman area of the Arabian
Sea
Southern South African
waters
“special area” requirements not in effect
SOx emission control area
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Wider Caribbean Region as a Special Area
• The Wider Caribbean Regional Workshop on Oil
Spill Preparedness and Response and 'Special
Area' Status under Annex V of MARPOL 73/78,
held in Caracas, Venezuela, in October 1990,
recommended that the Region be declared a
'Special Area' under Annex V of MARPOL in
order to improve the marine environment of the
Region
• The designation entered into force on 4 April
1993, but cannot be enforced until the States of
the Region declare there are adequate waste
reception facilities to meet the needs of the ships
trading there
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MARPOL Annex V/5(4)
• (4) Reception facilities within special areas:
– (a) The Government of each Party to the Convention, the
coastline of which borders a special area, undertakes to ensure
that as soon as possible in all ports within a special area
adequate reception facilities are provided in accordance with
regulation 7 of this Annex, taking into account the special needs
of ships operating in these areas.
– (b) The Government of each Party concerned shall notify the
Organization of the measures taken pursuant to subparagraph
(a) of this regulation. Upon receipt of sufficient notifications the
Organization shall establish a date from which the requirements
of this regulation in respect of the area in question shall take
effect. The Organization shall notify all Parties of the date so
established no less than twelve months in advance of that date.
– (c) After the date so established, ships calling also at ports in
these special areas where such facilities are not yet available,
shall fully comply with the requirements of this regulation.
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Activities by RAC/REMPEITC-Carib
• Nov ‘07 – MARPOL V seminars in
Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados,
Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, & St. Lucia
• Oct ‘08 – MARPOL V seminar in
Curacao, also attended by Bonaire,
Saba, Suriname, & El Salvador
• Jun ‘09 – Letters to WCR parties (25)
of MARPOL V requesting endorsement
to sponsor draft IMO submission
• Nov ‘09 – MARPOL V seminar in
Colombia, also attended by Belize,
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Mexico, & Nicaragua
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Letters sent by REMPEITC to MARPOL Parties
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Draft Recommendation to MEPC
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Global Integrated Shipping Information
System
GISIS is an online, web-based system
providing easy access for Member States to
provide and maintain data, together with
controlled access to the public of authorized
information, as previously agreed by Member
States.
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Global Integrated Shipping Information
System
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MARPOL Annex V – Wider Caribbean Region
Status as of 18Nov09
Venezuela
United States *
United Kingdom
Trinidad & Tobago
Suriname
St Vincent & Grenadines
St Lucia
St Kitts & Nevis
Panama
Nicaragua
Netherlands
Mexico
Jamaica
Honduras
Guyana
Guatemala
France
Dominican Republic
Dominica
Cuba
Colombia
Belize
Barbados
Bahamas
Antigua & Barbuda
Haiti
Grenada
Costa Rica
MARPOL Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
V Party?
NNN
PRFs
NNNNNNNNNY NY NY Y NNNNNNNNNN
Entered
in GISIS?
Adequate
PRF?
YN
Y – Pending Official Letter
Y
Y Y Y
NY
Y
Y
* U.S. maintains “Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange” website
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Summary
• It is vital that the WCR special area
provisions of MARPOL V be
implemented
• Parties to MARPOL 73/78 need to
provide port reception facilities & to
inform IMO of such details
• Parties need to endorse
REMPEITC letter (Agreement to cosponsor IMO submission to MEPC)
• This information will facilitate the
coming into force of the WCR
special area status
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