Invasive species management - Biofouling and commercial shipping
Biofouling can be a significant vector for the transfer of invasive aquatic species by ships. Sustainable solutions for biofouling management can minimize the risk of invasive species introductions, and at the same time decrease fuel consumption and emissions.
The results from the COMPLETE and COMPLETE PLUS projects provide practical solutions for improving sustainable biofouling management in the Baltic Sea Region. These projects have filled knowledge gaps regarding biofouling management practices, regulations and other baseline information in the Baltic Sea Region. Guidance on choosing anti-fouling systems and methods, and recommendations on hull cleaning optimization have been made based on extensive experimental work, literature surveys and expert interviews. These recommendations provide detailed information on environmentally safe management options for hull cleaning.
Proposal for a Regional Baltic Biofouling Management Roadmap
This document provides the COMPLETE project outputs and deliverables related to biofouling management in the Baltic Sea Region, contributing to the implementation of the IMO Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species (resolution MEPC.207(62)), and the Guidance for minimizing the transfer of invasive aquatic species as biofouling (hull fouling) for recreational craft (MEPC.1/Circ.792) in the Baltic Sea Region.
Guide on best practices of biofouling management in the Baltic Sea
This Best Practice Guide aims at providing information and guidance for effective biofouling management strategies suitable for the Baltic Sea Region on the basis of international and regional experiences and research.
Recommendation on hull cleaning practice to reduce discharge of substances from antifouling paint
This report contains recommendations for in-water hull cleaning practice to reduce the removal and discharge of substances in the case when cleaning is conducted on antifouling paints.
Implementation of the multi-criteria desicion support tool for biofouling management
A memorandum presenting the main results of the feedback from the end-users, considering the benefits and drawbacks of the tool and options for possible future development.
Risk assessment of in-water cleaning (IWC) of ships in the Baltic Sea Region
This document proposes a harmonized risk assessment procedure as basis for permissions of in-water cleaning (IWC) of ships in the Baltic Sea Region.
Guidance documents for biofouling management
In the COMPLETE PLUS project, the contents of the Proposal for a Regional Baltic Biofouling Management Roadmap were translated into HELCOM documentation for consideration in the HELCOM framework.
Developing a conceptual influence diagram for socio-eco-technical systems analysis of biofouling management in shipping – A Baltic Sea case study
To sustainably prevent NIS introductions, the joint consideration of environmental, economic and social aspects in the search of optimal biofouling management strategies is needed. This article presents a multi-perspective soft systems analysis of the biofouling management problem, based on an extensive literature review and expert knowledge collected in the Baltic Sea area during 2018–2020.
Are silicone foul-release coatings a viable and sustainable alternative to biocidal antifouling coatings in the Baltic Sea region?
In this study, the viability of foul-release coatings (FRCs) as a replacement for biocidal coatings has been assessed for this region.