Rich fare lined up for Puneites includes a three-day exhibition of ``Portuguese maritime contribution to the world'' which will be inaugurated by Dr Curto at the Rabindra Kala Kunj on May 9. There will be daily video films and a talk by the ambassador on the IYO organised at the National Film Archives at 6 pm on May 8.

``The International Year of the Ocean is an attempt to bring ocean issues to the attention of the general public and the decision makers as well as consider action needed to undertake our common responsibility to preserve and sustain the greatest common heritage we have,'' said Capt Jayant Karmarkar of the Indian Maritime foundation at a press conference held today.

The exhibits which have been flown in from Portugal to be presented to the IMF by the Embassy of Portugal include fascimiles of ancient charts, some more than 500-year-old, used by Portuguese navigators to explore the world, copies of paintings related to Portuguese discoveries and six volumes of ``Portugallae monumenta cartographica'' which includes specimens of the earliest known Portuguese cartography. Dr Purto will also talk about the world exposition on ocean issues scheduled in Lisbon from May to September 1998.

The IMF will also hold a two-day seminar on, ``The London Dumping Convention of 1972'' in Mumbai on June 8 and 9. ``India is not a signatory to the convention that bans dumping of waste into the sea and we would like the country to have a government representative,'' said Karmarkar. Other invitees include representatives from the Bombay Port Trust, the government of Maharshtra, the Atomic Energy Convention, Coastguards and the Ministry of Environment.

The Pune programmes have been organised by the IMF and sponsored by the Deccan Group of Companies.