The lack of biofouling management has a major impact on environment: by potentially introducing the invasive aquatic species and gravely contributing to the loss of marine biodiversity; and by increasing the water resistance on ship hull and in turn increasing the GHG emissions. However the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region recognize these issues and are actively working towards preventing them.
Panama - one of the Partnering Countries of both GloFouling Partnerships and TEST Biofouling projects (two biofouling focused sister projects implemented by the International Maritime Organization), hosted a series of biofouling focused events in the International Maritime University of Panama, Panama City from 8 to 12 July 2024, organized by both projects in collaboration with Maritime Technology Cooperation Centers (MTCCs) of Latin America and the Caribbean and Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS).
Training course
The week started with a two-day (8-9 July) training course on biofouling risk assessment and inspection methodologies, developed by TEST Biofouling project. Participants benefited from a wealth of experience and expertise provided by Ashley Coutts, Managing Director and Principal Scientist, Biofouling Solutions Pty LTD and contributors Lina Ceballos, Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Lands Commission and Gregory Ruiz, Marine Ecologist, Smithsonian Institution. The training course explained:
What are the factors influencing biofouling accumulation and predictive measures for inspection and cleaning?
How to effectively plan and execute in-water inspections?
What are the best practices and challenges? and
What are the in-water inspection reporting requirements?
Demonstration
Day three (10 July) included a showcase of an in-water cleaning technology demonstration in the Port of Balboa. The hands-on demonstration allowed for more than a hundred participants (from all three events) to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity involved in biofouling management. The participants were able to interact with the team of experts from HullWiper Ltd (Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety member) and Talleres Industriales about the technology’s capabilities, operations efficiency and environmental impact. HullWiper Ltd also showcased the deployment of its technology into the water, its attachment to the vessel and the detailed functioning of its adjustable high pressure seawater jets to remove hull fouling.
#WomenInBiofouling workshop
The second half of the week was dedicated to #WomenInBiofouling with one and a half day (11-12 July) for Latin American and Caribbean Women in Maritime – Biofouling Management Workshop (LACWIM-BMW) co‑financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the commitment made during the equivalent workshop held in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023 and half day site visit to Panama Canal.
On day one a diverse group of presentations and panel discussions took place. The participants learnt about: gender related programmes and International Maritime Organization gender action plan implementation; GloFouling Partnerships and TEST Biofouling projects; biofouling management regulations; the availability of technology and the perspective of the developers; and biofouling gender action plans. Day two was dedicated to the working groups discussion to help answer the question on “How to sustain women’s contribution in the maritime sector?” and make recommendations of the solutions.
The LACWIM-BMW saw experts coming together from maritime sector to share their knowledge and to network. The participants represented:
the beneficiary countries of the projects from the region and beyond - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Suriname;
representatives from developed countries - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Unites States of America (California State Lands Commission).
representatives from conservation, academia and research - Charles Darwin Foundation, Fiji National University, IMLI, Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre (SERC) and WMU;
industry representatives – AkzoNobel, Biofouling Solutions Pty LTD, EcoSubsea, GreenSea IQ, HullWiper Ltd., MAERSK and Maritime SheEO, including the Chair (Mr. Simon Doran) and the Vice-Chair (Ms. Abigail Robinson) of Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety; and
women associations representatives – Red MAMLa, WiMAC (Jamaica and Suriname chapters) WISTA International and WISTA Panama;
To close the biofouling topics packed week the participants visited the Panama Canal (hosted by the Canal de Panamá), to witness the operations and exchange the insights on biofouling management.
Conclusion
This event marks a significant step forward for developing countries in capacitating and advancing sustainable biofouling solutions and provided networking opportunities and professional development, aiming to empower women in the maritime industry and promote a diverse, skilled workforce.
Useful links
For full detail of the event see programme.
For the official IMO photo album see Flickr.
For IMO news item see what's new.
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