BIMCO launches survey on biofouling management

Written by Nick Blenkey
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NOVEMBER 12, 2018 — With mounting pressure for biofouling management, BIMCO is launching a survey to gain insight into how shipowners are dealing with the issue.

BIMCO notes that biofouling management is important for several reasons. Fouling on a ship’s hull significantly reduces hydrodynamic performance and increases fuel consumption. Furthermore, biofouling impacts ships’ emissions and potentially transfers invasive species.

The industry has recently seen local and regional regulation that mandates the use of a biofouling management plan. One example is New Zealand, where all ships arriving in the country from May 1, 2018, are required to have a clean hull in accordance with the Craft Risk Management Standard for Biofouling (CRMS). Australia and the United States have also announced their own regulation covering biofouling management.

Internationally, IMO is currently working on how to address biofouling management and, to advise IMO on how shipowners are currently managing biofouling, BIMCO is launching a survey and strongly encourages its members to participate by using this link: BIMCO’s Biofouling Survey 2018

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

BIMCO and a group of industry partners have also set out to create an internationally recognized standard on underwater hull and propeller cleaning.

The group consists of eight different organizations, including paint manufacturers, ship owners and cleaning companies taking a holistic approach to establish an international standard that will work in practice. The standard is expected to be finalized in the autumn of 2019 and will ensure that the result of the cleaning is in accordance with a set of specifications, that the environmental impact of of the process and coating damage is controlled and that the cleaning process is planned, safe and effective.

HULL FOULING CLAUSE

BIMCO has also produced a Hull Fouling Clause for Time Charter Parties, which sets out the physical circumstances and the point in time when the responsibility for hull fouling passes from the owners to the charterers when an extended period of idleness is due to charterers’ orders.

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