THE INTERNATIONAL Maritime Organization has put out an open call for shipping and fishery companies to join a new global alliance on ocean litter.
The Marine Plastic Litter Global Industry Alliance (GIA) aims to bring together leaders of the maritime industries to develop innovative solutions to prevent and reduce oceans plastic pollution, and address barriers to the uptake of technologies and alternative approaches.
The IMO has experience in establishing and leading global alliances, having done so with regards to greenhouse gas emissions and biofouling. This plastic litter alliance will address plastic pollution directly caused by the shipping and fishery sectors.
The marine plastic alliance will be managed as part of IMO’s OceanLitter programme, a portfolio of projects, and will build on and replace the previously established GloLitter project.
The new alliance is expected to include a wide spectrum of maritime stakeholders, including shipowners, ports, fisheries industry, recycling companies, technology and data providers and class societies, and a taskforce will steer activities.
The IMO says members will convene on a regular basis to share knowledge and expertise including through roundtable dialogues, develop industry guidelines and tools to help address plastic litter, and raise awareness for green solutions.
Companies wishing to join this alliance must meet certain eligibility criteria put forth by the IMO, and must submit an expression of interest detailing their rationale, current initiatives, and pay an annual membership fee of US$20,000.
Marine litter has been a significant problem globally for a number of years, and some scientists warn that by 2050 the quantity of plastics in the world’s oceans will outweigh fish.
As well as being hazardous to marine life and environments, floating garbage and plastics pose a potential costly and dangerous problem for shipping, as they can be a navigational hazard and become entangled in propellers and rudders.
The IMO was a pioneer for the banning of plastics and other garbage discharge from ships in the late 1980’s, as part of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, otherwise known as MARPOL.
