REGULATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY GARBAGE FROM SHIPS.

For the purposes of this Annex:

1. Animal carcasses means the bodies of any animals that have died or been euthanized on board during the voyage where the animals have been carried on board as cargo.
2. Cargo residues means the remnants of any cargo not covered by other annexes remaining on the deck or in holds following loading and unloading, including loading  and unloading excess or spillage, whether in wet or dry condition or entrained in  wash water but does not include cargo dust remaining on the deck after sweeping or  dust on the external surfaces of the ship.
3. Cooking oil means any type of edible oil or animal fat used or intended to be used for the preparation or cooking of food, but does not include the food itself that is  prepared using these oils.
4. En route means that the ship is underway at sea on a course or courses, including deviation from the shortest direct route, which as far as practicable for navigational  purposes, will cause any discharge to be spread over as great an area of the sea as  is reasonable and practicable.
5. Fishing gear means any physical device or part thereof or combination of items that may be placed on or in the water or on the sea-bed with the intended purpose of capturing, or controlling for subsequent capture or harvesting, marine or freshwater organisms.
6. Food wastes means any spoiled or unspoiled food substances, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, poultry, meat products and food scraps generated aboard ship.
7. Garbage means all kinds of food, domestic and operational wastes, all plastics cargo residues, incinerator ashes, cooking oil, fishing gear and animal carcasses generated during the normal operation of the ship and liable to be disposed of continuously or periodically except those substances which are defined or listed in other Annexes to the present Convention. Garbage does not include fresh fish and parts thereof generated as a  result of fishing activities undertaken during the voyage or as a result of aquaculture activities which involve transportation of fish.
8. Incinerator ashes   means ash and clinkers resulting from shipboard incinerators
9. Operational wastes   means all  solid wastes( including slurries) not covered by other Annexes that are collected on board during normal maintenance or operations of a ship, or used for cargo stowage and handling. Operational waste also includes cleaning agents and additives contained in  cargo hold and external wash water. Operational waste does not include grey water, bilge water, or other similar discharges essential to the operation of a ship.

General prohibition on discharge of garbage into the sea

1. Discharge of all garbage into the sea is prohibited, except as expressly provided  for safety at sea, securing lives etc and as per the discharge criteria this Annex.
2. discharge into the sea of all plastics, including but not limited to synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets, plastic garbage bags and incinerator ashes from plastic products is prohibited.
3. the discharge into the sea of cooking oil is prohibited.

Discharge of garbage outside special areas

1. discharge of the following garbage into the sea outside special areas shall only be made while the ship is en route and as far as practicable from the nearest land, but in any case not less than:
   • 3 nautical miles from the nearest land for food wastes which have been passed through a comminuter or grinder. Such comminuted or ground food wastes shall be capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater than 25 mm.
   • 12 nautical miles from the nearest land for food wastes that have not been passed thru comminuter/grinder
   • 12 nautical miles from the nearest land for cargo residues that cannot be recovered using commonly available methods for unloading. Cargo residues must not contain any substances classified as harmful to the marine environment, taking into account guidelines developed by the Organization.
   • animal carcasses.  Shall be discharged as far from land as possible. Carcasses must be split or otherwise treated to ensure that the carcass will sink immediately upon discharge.

2. Cleaning agents or additives contained in deck and external surfaces washing water may be discharged into the sea but these substances must not be harmful to the marine environment
3. When garbage is mixed with or contaminated by other substances prohibited from discharge or having different discharge requirements the more stringent requirements shall apply.
4. Special requirements for discharge of garbage from fixed or floating platforms:
   • The discharge into the sea of any garbage regulated by this Annex is prohibited from fixed or floating platforms engaged in the exploration, exploitation and associated offshore processing of sea-bed mineral resources, and from all other ships when alongside or within 500 m of such platforms.
   • The discharge into the sea of food wastes may only be permitted when they have been passed through a comminuter or grinder from such fixed or floating platforms located  more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land and all other ships when alongside or within 500 m of such platforms. Such comminuted or ground food wastes shall be capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater than 25 mm.

Discharge of garbage within special areas:

1. Discharge of the following garbage into the sea within special areas shall only be permitted while the ship is en route and as follows.
   • Discharge into the sea of food wastes as far as practicable from the nearest land, but not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or the nearest ice shelf. Food wastes must be comminuted or ground and shall be capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater  than 25 mm. Food wastes must be uncontaminated by any other garbage type. Discharge of introduced avian products, including poultry and poultry parts, is not permitted in the Antarctic area unless it has been treated to be made sterile.
   • Discharge of cargo residues that cannot be recovered using commonly available methods for unloading where the following conditions are satisfied:
     1. Cargo residues contained in hold washing water must not include any substances classified as harmful to the marine environment 
     2. Both the port of departure and the next port of destination are within the special area and the ship will not transit outside the special area between those ports;
     3. No adequate reception facilities are available at those ports
     4. Where the conditions of subparagraphs .1, .2 and .3 of this paragraph have been fulfilled, discharge of cargo hold washing water containing residues shall be made as far as practicable from the nearest land and not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land

2. Cleaning agents or additives contained in deck and external surfaces washing water may be discharged into the sea but these substances must not be harmful to the marine environment
3. The following rules apply to the Antarctic area:
   • The Government of each Party to the Convention at whose ports ships depart en route to or arrive from the Antarctic area undertakes to ensure that as soon as practicable adequate facilities are provided for the reception of all garbage from all ships, without causing undue delay, and according to the needs of the ships using them.
   • The Government of each Party to the Convention shall ensure that all ships entitled to fly its flag, before entering the Antarctic area, have sufficient capacity on board for the retention of garbage prohibited for discharge, while operating in the area and have concluded arrangements to discharge such garbage at a reception facility after leaving the area.

4. When garbage is mixed with or contaminated by other substances prohibited from discharge or having different discharge requirements the more stringent requirements shall apply.

Exceptions: Regulations  of this Annex shall not apply to:

1. The discharge of garbage from a ship necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship and those on board or saving life at sea; or
2. The accidental loss of garbage resulting from damage to a ship or its equipment provided all reasonable precautions have been taken before and after the occurrence of the damage, for the purpose of preventing or minimizing the accidental loss; or
3. The accidental loss of fishing gear provided that all reasonable precautions have been taken to prevent such loss, or the discharge of fishing gear for  the protection of the marine environment or for the safety of the ship or its crew; or
4. The discharge of fishing gear  from a ship for the protection of the environment
5. the en-route requirements( in special areas and outside special areas ) shall not apply to the discharge of food waste where it presents an imminent health risk

Placards, garbage management plans and garbage record-keeping

1. Every ship of 12 m or more in length overall and fixed and floating platforms  engaged in exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed shall display placards which notify the crew and passengers of the discharge requirements of regulations of this Annex, as applicable.
2. The placards shall be written in the working language of the ship’s crew and, for ships engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other Parties to the Convention, shall also be in English, French or Spanish.
3. Every ship of 100 gross tonnage and above, and every ship which is certified to carry 15 persons or more, and fixed and floating platforms engaged in exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed shall carry a garbage management plan which the crew shall follow. This plan shall provide written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of the equipment on board. It shall also designate the person/s in charge of carrying out the plan. Such a plan shall be in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Organization2 and written in the working  language of the crew.
4. Every ship of 400 gross tonnage and above and every ship which is certified to carry 15 persons or more engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of other Parties to the Convention and every fixed and floating platform engaged in exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed shall be provided with a Garbage Record Book.

The Garbage Record Book, whether as a part of the ship’s official log-book or otherwise, shall be in the form specified in the appendix to this Annex:

1. Each discharge operation to sea or to a reception facility, or completed incineration, shall be recorded in the Garbage Record Book and signed for on the date of the discharge or incineration by the officer in charge. Each completed page of the Garbage Record Book shall be signed by the master of the ship. The entries in the Garbage Record Book shall be at least in English, French or Spanish. Where the entries are also made in an official language of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly, the entries in that language shall prevail in case of a dispute or discrepancy;
2. The entry for each discharge or incineration shall include date and time, position of the ship, description of the garbage and the estimated amount discharged or incinerated;
3. The Garbage Record Book shall be kept on board the ship and in such a place as to be available for inspection in a reasonable time. This document shall be preserved for a period of two years after the last entry is made on the record;
4. In the event of discharge or accidental loss  an entry shall be made in the Garbage Record Book, or in the case of ships of less than 400 gross tonnage, an entry shall be made in the Ship’s Log, of the location, circumstances of, and the reasons for, the discharge or loss and details of the items discharged or lost.
5. The competent authority of the Government of a Party to the Convention may inspect the Garbage Record Books or Ship’s Log on board any ship to which this regulation applies, and may require the master of the ship to certify that the copy is a true copy of such an entry. Any copy so made, which has been certified by the master of the ship as a true copy of an entry in the ship’s Garbage Record Book or Ship’s Log, shall be admissible in any judicial proceedings as evidence of the facts stated in the entry. The inspection of a Garbage Record Book or Ship’s Log and the taking of a certified copy by the competent authority under this paragraph shall be performed as expeditiously as possible without causing the ship to be unduly delayed.
6. The accidental loss or discharge of fishing gear  which poses a significant threat to the marine environment or navigation shall be reported to the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly and to the coastal State where the loss has occurred within that State’s jurisdiction.

FORM OF GARBAGE RECORD BOOK

In accordance with regulations 7 and 10 of Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL), a record is to be kept of each discharge operation or completed incineration. This includes discharges into the sea, to reception facilities, or to other ships, as well as the accidental loss of garbage.

Garbage and garbage management

Garbage includes all kinds of food, domestic and operational waste, all plastics, cargo residues, incinerator ashes, cooking oil, fishing gear and animal carcasses generated during the normal operation of the vessel and liable to be disposed of continuously or periodically except those substances which are defined or listed in other annexes to MARPOL. Garbage does not include fresh fish and parts thereof generated as a result of fishing activities undertaken during the voyage.

The Guidelines for the Implementation of Annex V of MARPOL should also be referred to for relevant information.

Description of the garbage

The garbage is to be grouped into categories for the purposes of this record book as follows:

A     Plastics

B     Food waste

C     Domestic Waste (e.g., paper products, rags, glass, metal, bottles, crockery, etc.)

D     Cooking Oil

E     Incinerator ash

F     Operational waste

G     Cargo residues

H     Animal Carcass(es)

I       Fishing Gear

Entries in the Garbage Record Book

4.1     Entries in the Garbage Record Book shall be made on each of the following occasions:

4.1.1      When garbage is discharged to a reception facility ashore or to other ships:

.1    Date and time of discharge

.2    Port or facility, or name of ship

.3    Category of garbage discharged

.4    Estimated amount discharged for each category in cubic metres

.5    Signature of officer in charge of the operation.

4.1.2      When garbage is incinerated:

.1    Date and time of start and stop of incineration

.2    Position of the ship (latitude and longitude) at the start and stop of incineration

.3    Categories of garbage incineration

.4    Estimated amount incinerated in cubic metres

.5    Signature of the officer in charge of the operation.

4.1.3      When garbage is discharged into the sea:

.1    Date and time of discharge

.2    Position of the ship (latitude and longitude). Note: for cargo residue discharges, include discharge start and stop positions.

.3    Category of garbage discharged

.4    Estimated amount discharged for each category in cubic metres

.5    Signature of the officer in charge of the operation.

4.1.4      Accidental or other exceptional discharges or loss of garbage

.1    Date and time of occurrence

.2    Port or position of the ship at time of occurrence (latitude, longitude and water depth if known)

.3    Estimated amount and categories of garbage

.4    Circumstances of discharge or loss, the reason therefore and general remarks.

Receipts

The master should obtain from the operator of the reception facilities, or from the master of the ship receiving the garbage, a receipt or certificate specifying the estimated amount of garbage transferred. The receipts or certificates must be kept on board the ship with the Garbage Record Book for two years.

Amount of garbage

The amount of garbage on board should be estimated in cubic metres, if possible separately according to category. The Garbage Record Book contains many references to estimated amount of garbage. It is recognized that the accuracy of estimating amounts of garbage is left to interpretation. Volume estimates will differ before and after processing. Some processing procedures may not allow for a usable estimate of volume, e.g., the continuous processing of food waste. Such factors should be taken into consideration when making and interpreting entries made in a record.

RECORD OF GARBAGE DISCHARGES

Ship’s name: _______________________

Distinctive No., or letters: _______________________

IMO No.: ____________

(a)  Date/ Time	(b)         Position of the ship /Remarks (e.g. accidental loss)	(c) Category	(d) Estimated Amount Discharged/ Incinerated	(e) To Sea	(f) To Reception Facility	(g) Incineration	(h) Certification/ Signature

         ,     ,

Master’s signature:____________________ Date: ______________