Antifouling moves reflect wider ecological governance shift

These pressures include climate change, biodiversity loss and marine pollution, now increasingly referred to as the ’triple planetary crisis.’

A submission from Pacific Environment and the Clean Shipping Coalition proposed the formation of an ad hoc working group to examine how shipping sits at the intersection of climate, biodiversity and pollution. Its paper argued “the status quo is not a viable option” and maritime regulations should prioritise solutions offering co-benefits across multiple environmental domains.

Such an approach could see antifouling strategies evaluated not only for performance, but also for how they interact with underwater noise, marine mammal safety, and ecosystem resilience.

A further submission by the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) added IMO’s decision-making must “integrate cumulative effects and ecosystem resilience” in a more structured way. The ACOPS paper singled out underwater noise, greywater discharges and persistent pollutants from hull coatings and antifouling systems as issues where cumulative impacts could be underestimated.

The paper stated, “Only after cumulative effect assessments can mitigation and compensation measures be scoped in a scientifically sound way.”

The context for these submissions is a broader shift in international ocean governance. MEPC 83 received recommendations to link its outputs with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, outcomes from COP 16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and preparatory work for the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.

A UN General Assembly resolution from late 2024 also reiterated the need for “urgent action to improve ocean resilience” and endorsed cumulative impact assessment as a means to that end.

The antifouling sector now finds itself within a regulatory space that is evolving quickly. The focus is moving beyond standalone technologies to how those technologies interact with global ecological systems. Whether through ultrasonic pulses or silicone surfaces, future antifouling strategies may be expected to meet a wider range of ecological criteria.

October 2025 MEPC 84 is likely to consider the structure of the proposed working group.

Antifouling is no longer just a technical topic. It has become a test case for how the shipping industry interprets the relationship between operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.

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