IMO regulations to prevent pollution from garbage must be implemented effectively. The greatest danger to the ocean and marine life comes from plastic, which can float for years and be mistaken for food.
A new e-learning course from IMO aims to improve awareness and enhance global implementation of the garbage regulations, including addressing marine plastic litter from ships, is contained in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex V.
This self-paced course is designed for government officials, maritime educators, seafarers, port reception facility operators, and other maritime stakeholders. It covers:
· The main provisions and scope of MARPOL Annex V
· Restrictions and conditions for the disposal of garbage at sea
· Responsibilities of shipowners operators, and crew in ensuring compliance
· The environmental impact of ship-generated waste
· International enforcement measures under the MARPOL Convention
· Best practices to prevent, reduce, and control sea-based marine litter
The course is freely available on the IMO e-Learning platform: https://lms.imo.org/moodle310/. The course blends animated modules and practical scenario-based questions to offer an effective learning pathway.
By improving awareness and capacity among key actors, the course aims to help reduce the discharge of garbage at sea, including marine plastic litter, to ensure better compliance with international regulations, and support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development goal on the ocean, SDG 14.
The World Maritime University (WMU) contributed to the design and development of the e-learning course, ensuring that it meets contemporary training requirements in the maritime sector.
The development of this course was co-funded by IMO and the OceanLitter Programme which currently consists of 3 projects that are implemented in partnership with FAO: the GloLitter Partnerships Project, funded by the government of Norway with contributions from the Governments of Australia and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Regional Litter (RegLitter) Project, funded by the Republic of Korea, and the Plastic Reduction in the Oceans: Sustaining and Enhancing Actions on Sea-based Sources (PRO-SEAS) Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility.
"This new course represents another key step in strengthening global efforts to protect the marine environment from plastic litter originating from ships," said Mr. Jose Matheickal, Director of the Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division at IMO. "We hope that this learning tool will support implementation at the national level and further reinforce international cooperation in tackling this pressing challenge."
The course is currently available in English, with plans to expand to French and Spanish in the near future, in line with IMO's focus on multilingualism.
The course was launched during the 75th session of the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee (TCC 75), as part of ongoing efforts under the OceanLitter Programme and in line with IMO's increased focus on e-learning to support enhanced education and training outcomes across the global maritime sector.
Watch the Introduction to IMO e-learning course on MARPOL Annex V (garbage) video here.