Australia – Mandatory Biofouling Management Requirements for International Vessels.
Australia – Mandatory Biofouling Management Requirements for International Vessels.
New requirements for managing biofouling on international vessels arriving in Australia will begin on 15 June 2022.
Operators of all vessels subject to biosecurity control will be required to provide information on how biofouling has been managed prior to arriving in Australian territorial seas. This information will need to be reported through the department’s Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS).
The department will use the information to target vessel interventions. This will allow more efficient use of resources and statutory powers to assess and inspect vessels, and more effective response to unacceptable biosecurity risks associated with biofouling.
Vessel operators will receive less intervention for biofouling if they comply with one of the following three accepted biofouling management practices:
1. Implementation of an effective biofouling management plan; or
2. Cleaned all biofouling within 30 days prior to arriving in Australian territory; or
3. Implementation of an alternative biofouling management method pre-approved by the department.
Further information on the accepted biofouling management practices will be available on this page soon. https://www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/aircraft-vessels-military/vessels/marine-pest-biosecurity/biofouling
A vessel operator that has not applied one of the three accepted biofouling management practices will be subject to further questions and assessment of the biosecurity risk associated with biofouling on the vessel.
This new policy approach was approved by the Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia and is consistent with the direction of the International Maritime Organization’s 2011 Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships’ biofouling to Minimize the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species. The policy is also informed by the Review of National Marine Pest Biosecurity 2015 and the Australian biofouling management requirements for international vessel arrivals consultation regulation impact statement.
Timeframe for implementing the new requirements : The department will phase the introduction of new requirements. From 15 June 2022 to 15 December 2023 an education first approach will be taken for the Australian biofouling management requirements. However, powers under the Biosecurity Act 2015 will continue to be used to manage unacceptable biosecurity risk associated with biofouling.
For any specific questions, please contact our Australia head office:
