Disposal of Plastics in the Sea – Policies - Polymers in a Marine Environment - page 135

ingestion of litter on ish, marine mammals and seabirds), and alien species (litter as
a vector for transport of species).
5.4.1.6 Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine
Environment from Land-based Activities
In 1995, over 108 countries committed themselves to protect and preserve the marine
environment from the negative environmental impacts of land-based activities by
adopting the UNEP/GPA for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-
based Activities . Such activities can, amongst other things, cause or exacerbate poor
human health, poverty, economic losses and food insecurity. The aims of GPA include
the identiication and assessment of the sources of marine degradation, including
coastal and upstream point sources and coastal and upstream non-point (diffuse)
sources, and the affected or vulnerable areas of concern such as critical habitats,
habitats of endangered species, ecosystem components, shorelines, coastal watersheds,
estuaries, specially protected marine and coastal areas, and small islands.
The GPA assists states, individually and/or jointly, in taking concrete action that
generates tangible results for policies, priorities and resources. The implementation
of the GPA is primarily the responsibility of governments, in close partnerships with
all stakeholders, including local communities, public organisations, NGO and the
private sector.
Litter is one of the nine pollution source categories identiied in the GPA. International
actions recommended by the GPA for the abatement of marine pollution including
that of marine litter (which comprises plastic wastes) from land-based sources include:
• Participationinaclearinghouseonwastemanagement,recyclingandreuseand
waste-minimisation technologies, and
• Co-operationwithcountriesinneedofassistance,throughinancial,scientiic
and technological support, in developing and establishing environmentally sound
waste-disposal methods and alternatives to disposal.
5.4.1.7 Food and Agriculture Organization Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible
Fisheries was adopted in 1995. According to the Code, the management objectives
include that appropriate measures should be taken to provide, amongst other things,
that 'pollution, waste, discards, catch by lost or abandoned gear, catch of non-target