Marine Advisory: 13/2022 - Mandatory Biofouling Management Requirements for Vessels Arriving at Australian Ports

SUBJECT: Mandatory Biofouling Management Requirements for Vessels Arriving at Australian Ports

Dear Shipowners/Operators/Masters:

The purpose of this Marine Advisory is to provide guidance on the new requirements for managing biofouling on vessels arriving in Australia, which 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 of Agriculture, Water and the Environment 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.

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.

A Biofouling Management Plan and associated Record Book that are compliant with the International Maritime

Organization’s 2011 Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships’ Biofouling to Minimize the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species, will be considered sufficient in meeting the Australian biofouling management requirements. Additional guidance can be found in the Australian biofouling management requirements Version 1 and at the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment webpage.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Regulations and Standards Department at RegsAndStandards@liscr.com.

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