Download Project 16214 Assessment of Preventative Biofouling Management Measures

MPI Technical Paper No: 2016/69

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) New Zealand is actively involved in both international and domestic efforts to improve ship hull maintenance to minimise biosecurity risks but have recognised that more science is needed to inform the effectiveness of preventative tools and techniques to minimise ships’ biofouling, particularly for niche areas.

The “Biofouling Management Project” was therefore developed to identify effective hull maintenance practices to inform both shipping and regulatory authorities of activities that could constitute best practice. The aim of this project was to obtain information from a large number of vessels of different types, sizes and operational profiles from different locations throughout the world. Such sampling would encompass different antifouling systems and practices, different biofouling pressures, and different ship susceptibilities.

That application of a suitable antifouling coating system is the best method for minimising the establishment and growth of biofouling on hulls, hull appendages, and in sea chests and other wet-side niches. The type of coating that will be most effective varies for specific applications and, for any one vessel, several different coatings may be needed to achieve maximum protection.

Benefits for improved biofouling management, could be enhanced through widespread support from the shipping and paint industries to assess systems and generate additional information for comparison.