Placards, Garbage Management Plans and Garbage Record-keeping

            This Regulation comes under the MARPOL Annex V, Chapter - 1 General, Regulation 10.

1. Every ship of 12m or more in length overall and fixed or floating platforms shall display placards that notify the crew and passengers of the discharge requirements of Regulation 3, 4, 5 and 6 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 or more persons, and fixed or floating platforms shall carry a garbage management plan which the crew shall follow.
1. The plan shall be based on the guidelines developed by the Organization and written in the working language of the crew.
2. The plan shall provide written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposal of the garbage, including the use of the equipment on board.
3. The Garbage Management plan shall also designate a person or person in charge of carrying out the Plan.
4. Every ship of 400 gross tonnages and above and every ship which is certified to carry 15 or more persons engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of another party to the convention and fixed or floating platforms shall be provided with a Garbage Record Book.
5. The Garbage Record Book, whether as a part of the ship's official logbook, or as an electronic record book which shall be approved by the Administration taking into account the Guidelines developed by the Organization, or otherwise, shall be in the form specified in Appendix II to this Annex:
1. Each discharge into the sea or to a reception facility, or completed incineration, shall be promptly recorded in the Garbage Record Book and signed for on the date of the discharge or incineration by the officer in charge. 
2. Each completed page or group of electronic entries of the Garbage Record Book shall be signed by the master of the ship. 
3. The entries in the Garbage Record Book shall be at least in English, French or Spanish. 
4. 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.
5. The entry for each discharge into the sea shall include date and time, the position of the ship (latitude and longitude), category of the garbage and the estimated amount (in cubic meters) discharged.
6. For discharge of cargo residues, the discharge Start and Stop positions shall be recorded.
7. The entry for each completed incineration shall include the date and time and position of the ship at the start and stop of incineration, categories of the garbage incinerated and estimated amount incinerated for each category in cubic meters.
8. The entry for each discharge to a port reception facility or another ship shall include the date and time of discharge, port or facility or name of the ship, categories of the garbage discharged and the estimated amount discharged for each category in cubic meters.
9. The Garbage Record Book along with receipts obtained from reception facilities shall be kept on board the ship or the fixed or floating platform, and in such a place as to be readily available for inspection at all reasonable times. 
10. The Garbage Record book shall be preserved for a period of at least two years from the date of the last entry made in it.
11. In the event of any discharge or accidental loss of Garbage, an entry shall be made in the Garbage Record book.
12. In case of any ship of less than 400 gross tonnages, an entry shall be made in the ship's official log-book of the date and time of occurrence, port or position of the ship at the time of occurrence, the reason for the discharge or loss, details of the item discharged or lost, categories of garbage discharged or lost, estimated amount for each category in cubic meters, responsible precautions are taken to prevent or minimize such discharge or accidental loss and general remarks.
6. The Administration may waive the requirements for Garbage Record Book for:
1. Any ship engaged on voyages of one hour or less is duration which is certified to carry 15 or more persons.
2. Fixed or Floating Platforms.
7. The competent authority of the government of a party may inspect Garbage Record Books or official log-books onboard any ship to which this regulation applies while the ship is in ports or offshore terminals and may take a copy of any entry in that book and may require the Master of the ship to certify that the copy is a true copy of such entry.   
8. The true copy of an entry that is certified by the Master of the ship from the Garbage Record Book or official log-books shall be made admissible in any judicial proceedings as evidence of the facts stated in the entry.
9. The inspection of a Garbage Record Book or Official Record book and the taking of the certified copy by the competent authority under this paragraph shall be performed as expeditiously as possible without causing the ship to be unduly delayed.
10. The accidental loss or discharge of fishing gear that 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, where the loss or discharge occurs within waters subject to the jurisdiction of a coastal state, also to that coastal state.

To download this article click the button given below👇

Download Now

Reference: IMO Publications & Documents - International Conventions - MARPOL - Annex V