New IMO Regulations & Hull Medic ™

In many areas of the world, invasive species have caused species extinction, damaged ecosystems and created hazards for livelihoods, human health, and local economies. According to some estimates, the financial loss due to bio-invasion could be as high as $120 billion per year in the United States alone.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is addressing this issue by taking steps to bring a control mechanism to mitigate the spread of invasive species through ship hull bio-fouling. The fifteenth session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG 15) met in London in early February to develop “Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ bio-fouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species”. These Guidelines will now go forward to the July session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 62) for adoption.

Adopting guidelines on bio-fouling is a first step toward IMO regulations that address the transport of invasive aquatic species on ship hulls.

Preventing the Spread of Invasive Species with Effective Hull Maintenance

Hull Medic’s high accuracy ship performance models detect performance losses earlier than other methods, when bio-fouling is in the earlier stages of growth. MACSEA sees the mounting environmental regulatory pressure by the IMO and others as creating a growing market need for Hull Medic. Hull Medic’s Key Performance Indicators clearly show when the hull needs cleaning and at the earliest possible time, when cleaning costs are at a minimum.

In addition to spreading invasive aquatic species, hull fouling causes speed loss, extra power and extra fuel consumption. Hull cleaning is one method available to ship owners to implement an effective hull maintenance program that will keep hulls clean, save fuel, and avoid the spread of invasive species. Prudent companies conduct periodic underwater hull inspections to determine the extent of hull fouling, driving decisions to perform cleaning. The inspections and the subsequent cleaning both cost money. In particular, hull cleaning costs can be significant if a hull is heavily fouled.

“Early detection of fouling is a triple win situation for the ship owner”, remarks Kevin Logan, MACSEA’s President. “If an owner can clean the hull at the right time, the ship saves fuel, reduces carbon emissions, and effectively eliminates the risk of carrying invasive species on its hull”.