The IMO PPR Sub-Committee has developed recommendations on in-water cleaning of ships in accordance with the 2023 Guidelines for control and management of ship biofouling to reduce the spread of invasive aquatic species.
The guidelines are designed, in part, to enhance the global availability of safe and ecologically responsible in-water cleaning services.
A representative from the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), said: “We look forward to assisting our members in putting this guidance into action and want to facilitate the sharing of experience.”
The guidance on in-water cleaning of ships’ biofouling finalised by the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee is designed to help shipowners, charterers, operators, crews and in-water cleaning service providers to safely plan and conduct in-water cleaning operations while addressing risks to the environment and ship coatings.
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It also provides information to many other stakeholders involved in the process of cleaning – such as authorities wishing to approve cleaning in waters under their jurisdiction and covers both in-water cleaning that may be conducted proactively (ie removing microfouling from a ship’s hull and niche areas periodically to prevent or minimise attachment of macrofouling) or reactively (ie removing micro- and macrofouling from a ship’s hull and niche areas as a corrective action).
The report examines waste substance capture, which may be utilised for both proactive and reactive cleaning, with the goal of protecting the environment from the release of coating substances and non-native species in removed biofouling in compliance with the 2023 Biofouling Guidelines.
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BIMCO representative added: “Whilst the guidance is relatively comprehensive there is still work to be done. This includes developing a methodology for testing the compatibility between cleaning systems and various coating types and developing methods for assessing the minimum performance standard after systems enter into service.
“How to conduct in-water inspections to determine if in-water cleaning is needed also remains an outstanding issue which is likely to be of importance to our members.”
The guideline is scheduled to be approved by the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in April of this year and made accessible to members shortly thereafter.
In January, IMO emphasized the significance of safety and security in its recent 2025 Polar Maritime Seminar.
