An international convention banning the use of harmful organotins in anti-fouling paints used on ships' hulls will enter into force on 17 September 2008, following accession to the treaty by Panama on Monday 17 September 2007.
The International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention) was adopted on 5 October 2001 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
Under the terms of the Convention, it enters into force 12 months after 25 States representing 25 per cent of the world's merchant shipping tonnage have ratified it. With the ratification by Panama, the AFS Convention has been ratified by 25 States, with a combined 38.11 per cent of world merchant shipping tonnage.
When the Convention is in force, ships will no longer be permitted to apply or re-apply organotin compounds which act as biocides in their anti-fouling systems; ships either shall not bear such compounds on their hulls or external parts or surface or, for ships already carrying such compounds on their hulls, a coating that forms a barrier to such compounds will have to be applied to prevent them leaching from the underlying non-compliant anti-fouling systems. The Convention also establishes a mechanism to evaluate and assess other anti-fouling systems and prevent the potential future use of other harmful substances in these systems.
The Convention will apply to ships flying the flag of a Party to the Convention, as well as ships not entitled to fly their flag but which operate under their authority and to all ships that enter a port, shipyard or offshore terminal of a Party. It will apply to all ships, including fixed or floating platforms, floating storage units (FSUs), and floating production storage and off-loading units (FPSOs).
IMO Secretary-General Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos welcomed the latest ratification and encouraged others to follow suit.
"I am very pleased to be able to announce today that, following the ratification by Panama, the 2001 International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships will enter into force in 12 months time." he said.
"This is an important convention which is one of a series of measures that IMO has adopted over the years to prevent and control pollution caused by ships and to mitigate the effects of any damage that may occur. These are all positive proof of the firm determination of Governments and the industry to reduce, to the barest minimum, the impact that shipping may have on our fragile environment."
Mr. Mitropoulos urged all those States who have not yet ratified this convention to do so at the earliest opportunity, so that the percentage of global merchant shipping tonnage covered by the convention can be as high as possible.
Anti-fouling
systems
Anti-fouling paints are used to coat the bottoms of ships to prevent sealife
such as algae and molluscs attaching themselves to the hull - thereby slowing
down the ship and increasing fuel consumption.
The AFS Convention
defines "anti-fouling systems" as "a coating, paint, surface
treatment, surface, or device that is used on a ship to control or prevent attachment
of unwanted organisms".
In the early
days of sailing ships, lime and later arsenic were used to coat ships' hulls,
until the modern chemicals industry developed effective anti-fouling paints
using metallic compounds. These compounds slowly "leach" into the
sea water, killing barnacles and other marine life that have attached to the
ship.
But studies
showed that these compounds persist in the water, killing sealife, harming the
environment and possibly entering the food chain. One of the most popular anti-fouling
paints, developed in the 1960s, contained the organotin compound tributylin
(TBT), which has been proven to cause deformations in oysters and sex changes
in whelks.
Today, there are
a variety of effective anti-fouling systems available which do not contain TBT,
such as organotin-free anti-fouling paints and biocide-free non-stick coatings
which have an extremely slippery surface - preventing fouling occurring and making
it easier to clean when it does.
Briefing 30/2007, 18 September 2007
