Representatives from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam came together in Kochi, India, to enhance their capacity to combat plastic pollution from ships and protect the marine environment.
All seven countries are participants of the RegLitter Project under the umbrella of OceanLitter Programme, jointly implemented by the IMO and FAO. The two events were held to support national priorities while strengthening regional cooperation to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from the shipping and fisheries sectors.
RegLitter Regional Task Force (RTF) Workshop
(8 - 12 December)
The first event was the Third Asia Regional Task Force (RTF) workshop held as part of the RegLitter Project.
The workshop included sessions on the international legal framework addressing marine plastic litter from sea-based sources, including MARPOL Annex V, the London Convention/London Protocol and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear. India and Thailand shared their experience in relation to ratifying and implementing MARPOL Annex V and London Protocol respectively.
Participants worked collaboratively to review and advance regional actions from previous workshops, while exchanging views on national circumstances and opportunities for research cooperation. To further advance the workstream on research sharing, India shared national research initiatives on marine plastic litter from the shipping and fisheries sectors with the other participants.
GloLitter Partnerships MARPOL Annex V Port State Control (PSC) Training
As part of the GloLitter Partnerships project, through a combination of classroom-based instruction and practical hands-on experience aboard a vessel, dedicated MARPOL Annex V Port State control (PSC) training was conducted for Port State Conctrols Officers to offer them practical, hands-on, experience in matters related to the waste management generated by shipping activities.
The training strengthened the capacity of Port State Control Officers to implement and enforce MARPOL Annex V, focusing on ship-generated waste management, inspection procedures and compliance-related challenges.
