Regulation No. 3 of Annex V of MARPOL 73/78, Regulations
for the prevention of pollution by garbage, states:
"the disposal into the sea of all plastics, including but not limited to synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets and plastic garbage bags, is prohibited."
Annex V came into force on 31 December 1988 and as such should form the basis of the quayside regulations mentioned in Chapter 7.
With this in mind, a series of cartoon drawings has been drawn up as an aid to antipollution awareness programmes, these are on pages 108-138.
The cartoons were drawn up for use in the Mediterranean sea area and should be adapted to make them compatible with other regions of the world.
Who should use them? The drawings are for use in those countries where the artisanal fisheries industry is expanding rapidly. Extension workers in the field, fisheries training colleges, fisheries enforcement officers and harbour-masters should find them useful. The drawings may also be used as part of an elementary public awareness programme within a larger educational framework. Some of the drawings are also suitable as posters.
How can they be used? To be used effectively, the drawings should first be enlarged to A3-size. Then they should be customized to reflect the local fisheries scene; for example, the fisherman illustrated could be given a local look by altering his facial features, hat and attire; the fishmonger may have to be female to reflect certain traditions; the vessels should reflect local craft as much as possible and so on. Instances depicted in the drawings in the country of intended use can then be photographed on slides. A trip round the coastal areas will usually present numerous opportunities to photograph the conditions outlined in the drawings.
Finally, the drawings themselves should be transferred to slides and a package prepared consisting of a sequence of the 31 drawings with, say, an equal number of case histories sandwiched in-between.
The slide package should then be run on a good slide projector with a qualified person giving a running commentary. This will inevitably mean that the same person has to go round the various local landings, unless more copies and projectors are made available.
An even better alternative is to tape the entire package and commentary on a video cassette and distribute copies around the country. Suppliers to the fisheries industry (net manufacturers, engine suppliers, boat builders, oil companies, etc.) may act as sponsors of the video cassettes by paying to advertize. This would cut costs considerably.
Each of the cartoons on the following pages has a caption describing the message intended to be conveyed to the fishing community. Individual users of the package can then elaborate further on each topic.
It must be stressed that the programme's humorous side is
intended as a psychological tool to make offenders aware of their
misdeeds without antagonizing them or anybody else.
Further suggestions would be welcome.
