The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Tangaroa Blue Foundation (Tangaroa Blue) have joined forces to prevent marine debris from ships. AMSA is the national maritime agency whose responsibilities include protecting the marine environmen t from shipping related impacts and is committed to maintaining a safe and clean marine environment, AMSA said in its press release.
Part of AMSA’s role in ensuring clean seas is the administration of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). MARPOL prevents marine pollution by managing the discharge of waste from ships.
Tangaroa Blue is an Australian registered charity that coordinates the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI). AMDI is a network of community groups and government agencies focused on reducing the amount of marine debris washing into oceans. Their work includes beach clean - up activities, marine debris monitoring and administration of the Australian Marine Debris Database.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by AMSA and Tangaroa Blue this week will promote cooperation and information sharing activities, which will support both parties in minimising marine debris. While the majority of marine debris comes from land - based sources, preventing waste discharge from ships is a key focus for AMSA in environmental protection.