The US Coast Guard issued a bulletin reminding stakeholders that amendments to MARPOL Annex V (Garbage) entered into effect on 1 January 2013 and established a general prohibition on discharges of garbage into the sea. Disposal of garbage into designated special areas is particularly restricted. Among the designated special areas under Annex V is the Wider Caribbean Region Special Area, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard has noticed a recent increase in the number of MARPOL Annex V-related deficiencies during port state control (PSC) exams of vessels calling on Gulf of Mexico ports. A foreign vessel that improperly disposes of garbage in a special area may be subject to a number of PSC interventions. MSIB 39-13 (11/5/13).