(First posted 24. Jan. 2005)

Thank You and your team for all your work. We need to educate those that cause the need for the clear up - making them aware - generating a feeling of 'caring' that they lack.

The way 'law makers' go about 'prevention' is to create penalties. They assume that Fines will work but all too often the fines are relatively small.

How about :
If any ship is found dumping waste into the sea, it gets a warning and points against its licence to be 'at sea'. If the same ship is caught a second time, either more points against it or it is grounded/ bound in Dock for a period without compensation and without insurance pay out due to lack of earnings etc.

Your words are so true when you say :

"If a company suddenly decided to deposit chemical waste onto a road the authorities would come down hard but because it’s at sea it goes unnoticed. Out of sight. Out of mind."

Well it is vital that we all make sure that such water pollution goes "seen" and "recorded" in every way.

It's an international "shared" sea - well, all water is shared - and there needs to be international laws. Ships escaping legal constraints by using "Flags of Convenience" make a mockery of things and Captains that clean bilge tanks out at night in deep sea to avoid detection/ costs/ time loss are worth removing from their rank (following a warning scheme)

The Marine Conservation Society take on so much .... 70% of the Earth's Surface and more if the ice caps melt. It is one of the biggest jobs on the Planet.

For those interested in the world wide water situation, look up the Marine Stewardship Council and visit www.cleanocean.org . As all water is connected another great group in UK is R.O.R.E ( http://www.riverocean.org.uk/ )

A lot to do and once again, thank you for all the effort you make. Let's WIN !

Best wishes for 2005