155219_DBW_ABCs_updated_2025_Oct_FINAL

MARPOL PLACARD

MARPOL TREATY INTERNATIONAL LAW

The discharge of all garbage, most importantly all forms of plastic, is prohibited into the navigable waters of the United States and into all other waters as specifically allowed below. A person who violates these requirements is liable for civil and/or criminal penalties.

12 or more nautical miles from land PERMITTED Food waste. Wash water and cleaning agents may be discharged en route as far as practicable from shore if not harmful to the marine environment.

3 to 12 nautical miles from land PERMITTED Ground food waste that is able to pass through a screen with openings no larger than 1 inch.

Within 3 nautical miles of land Discharge of all

garbage is prohibited.

MARPOL Annex V Special Area

Wider Caribbean Region (Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean Sea)

Discharge of all garbage prohibited out to 12nm

Food waste must be ground

Regional, state, and local restrictions on garbage discharges also may apply.

MARPOL graphic courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Fish Waste Management The amount of fish waste disposed into a small, enclosed basin can exceed amounts found naturally in the water. In small quantities, this fish waste is eaten by scaveng-ing fish and is not a problem. In large amounts where water circulation is restricted, decomposition of fish waste can deplete the water of dissolved oxygen, leading to water quality degradation and fish kills. “Fish feeding” with bait or cleaned fish loads basins with nutrients and can disrupt the feeding behavior of wild animals or spread disease among them. • Always practice proper fish-cleaning methods and proper disposal of fish wastes. • Dispose of unwanted bait at sea. • Gut fish and dispose of the contents at sea. • Use fish cleaning stations with trash receptacles and wastewater hookups. Waste Management Plan All U.S. vessels 40 feet or more in length and equipped with a galley and berthing must carry a written Waste Management Plan if the vessel operates beyond three miles from shore. The Waste Management Plan must designate the person in charge of carrying out the plan and describe procedures for collecting, processing, storing and properly disposing of garbage in keeping with the prohibitions listed on page 50.

51 g