BANGKOK, Thailand: Leaders at the Group of 20 summit last month agreed on the “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision,” which aims to reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) stands ready to support Japan and other countries in the region to ensure healthy and sustainable oceans. [...]
Effective immediately, owners and operators of vessels operating in the North American (NA) or U.S. Caribbean Sea Emission Control Area (ECA) that are unable to acquire sufficient MARPOL Annex VI compliant fuel oil at a foreign or U.S. port may satisfy the MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 18.2.4 requirement to notify the competent authority of the relevant port of destination by notifying the cognizant U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP). Effective June 30, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will stop accepting Fuel Oil Non-Availability Reports (FONARs). [...]
Nine coastlines have been identified as the places in the Mediterranean most polluted with plastic, a report says. [...]
An oil company has been fined after more than 80 tonnes of chemicals were released onto the seabed off Shetland. [...]
A pregnant sperm whale washed up, dead, on a sandy beach outside Porto Cervo, a resort town on Italy’s island of Sardinia last week. When scientists and veterinarians cut open her womb and stomach, they found a horrifying sight: A dead baby whale, and nearly 50 pounds of plastic waste jammed into her belly. [...]
Ocean plastic costs. It costs the earth and it costs us money. In economic terms, plastic does $13 billion in damage to marine ecosystems annually. As much as 95% of the value of plastic packaging -- worth $80 to $120 billion annually -- is lost to the economy after the first-use cycle. It’s a massive problem. [...]