The Norwegian Maritime Authority has submitted a draft regulation regarding the prevention of spreading invasive species via ship hulls.
As announced, the Norwegian Maritime Authority has submitted a new draft regulation for public consultation regarding the management of hull fouling. The aim is to protect the Norwegian marine ecosystem by preventing the spread of invasive species via ships and mobile installations arriving in Norwegian waters from areas outside the Norwegian Economic Zone. prevent invasive species from spreading
Key points in the proposal:
- Ships and mobile installations arriving from areas outside the Norwegian Economic Zone must not have macrofouling on their hulls upon arrival in Norway.
- If ships and mobile installations do have macrofouling on arrival, they are required to be cleaned using the best available technology.
- Ships and mobile installations must have a plan for how hull fouling is managed and be able to document the measures taken.
- All vessels, including those operating only in Norwegian waters, must use the best available technology when cleaning hulls.
This is an important step in halting the spread of invasive species in the ocean. At the same time, we will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because ships use less fuel when their hulls are clean. In addition, there are great opportunities for Norwegian companies, which have already developed good solutions for hull cleaning.
…said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment.
We hope this inspires other countries to establish similar measures. Starting with national initiatives will provide valuable experience. We will use this in the work on global regulations that the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) is now initiating.
…highlighted Bjelland Eriksen.
The proposal is based on international guidelines from the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) and follows up on the mandate from the Ministry of Climate and Environment to the Norwegian Maritime Authority.
