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Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Vessels, aircraft and military
  4. Vessels
  5. Marine pest biosecurity
  6. Biofouling in Australia
  7. Biofouling resources

Sidebar first - Biosecurity

  • Biosecurity and trade
    • Biosecurity
      • Catalysing Australia’s Biosecurity
      • Biosecurity 2030 Roadmap
      • Sustainable biosecurity funding
        • Proposed Biosecurity Protection Levy
      • Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper-Biosecurity Surveillance and Analysis
        • Improving biosecurity surveillance and analysis
        • Forum Communique-July 2017
        • Australian Livestock Industry Health Studies
      • Biosecurity Matters
        • Gardening
        • Farming
        • Domestic travel
        • International travel
        • Online shopping
        • Recreational fishing
        • Bushwalking
        • Owning pets
        • Boat owner
        • Long distance driver
      • Committees and partnerships
        • Sustainable Biosecurity Funding Advisory Panel
        • Industry Consultative committees
        • International Cargo Cooperative Biosecurity Arrangement
        • Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme
        • National Biosecurity Committee
          • National Biosecurity Forum
            • Previous forums
          • National Biosecurity Emergency Preparedness Expert Group
          • Sheep and Goat Traceability Task Force
          • State and territory biosecurity roundtables
          • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity
            • Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity Review
              • 2024 Independent Review
                • Consultation
              • 2017 Independent Review
            • Protocol on biosecurity data and information sharing between the Commonwealth, State and Territory biosecurity agencies
            • National Surveillance and Diagnostics Framework
            • National Transition Program Policy Framework
            • National Biosecurity Engagement and Communication Framework
            • National Framework for the Management of Established Pests and Diseases of National Significance
          • National Biosecurity Response Team Arrangements 2017-2019
          • National Environment and Community Biosecurity Research, Development and Extension Strategy 2021-26
          • National RD&E Priorities for Invasive Plants and Animals 2016-2020
        • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework
          • Northern Australia Biosecurity Framework Reference Group
        • Partnerships in biosecurity
          • MOU Agriculture and Health
        • National Biosecurity Statement
          • Communication and Engagement Strategy
      • Aircraft, vessels and military
        • Aircraft
          • Aircraft disinsection
            • Aircraft Disinsection Information (ADI) and Import Relationship and Access Manager (iRAM)
            • Aircraft Disinsection Information (ADI) and Import Relationship and Access Manager (iRAM) support
            • Aircraft disinsection procedures for flights into Australia and New Zealand
          • Aircraft application form
          • Arrangements for aircraft invoking sovereign immunity
          • Guidelines for airline and aircraft operators arriving in Australian territory
          • Landing places determined as first points of entry for aircraft
        • Vessels
          • Australian registered vessels
          • Biosecurity legislation and the Australian territory
          • Commercial vessel biosecurity reporting
            • Cabotage cargo (fertiliser, grain and stockfeed)
            • Release from biosecurity control
            • Ship sanitation certification
          • Cruise vessels
          • Disembarking crew
          • First points of entry – information for arriving vessels and goods
          • First points of entry and non-first points of entry
            • Alternative biosecurity entry point application form
            • First points of entry - seaport operator requirements
          • Human health
          • Marine pest biosecurity
            • Ballast Water
              • Australian Ballast Water Management Requirements
              • Ballast Water Authorisation
            • Biofouling in Australia
              • Australian biofouling requirements
              • In-water cleaning in Australia
              • International relations
              • Biofouling resources
              • Non-commercial vessel biofouling
          • Maritime and Aircraft Reporting System (MARS)
            • MARS communications and training materials
            • MARS offline forms
          • Non-commercial vessels
            • Accredited suppliers list for termite detection services
            • Importing vessels with timber components frequently asked questions
            • Importing vessels with timber components
          • Offshore installations
            • Offshore Installations Biosecurity Guide
          • Plants and insects
            • Burnt pine longicorn beetle - person in charge questionnaire and statement
          • Pratique
          • Reportable biosecurity incidents
          • Waste recycling
        • Military
          • Australian Defence Force
            • Cleaning instructions - Personal equipment
          • Visiting military
            • Essential biosecurity information for military forces
            • Foreign government vessels invoking sovereign immunity
          • Cleaning requirements
          • Military frequently asked questions
          • Military vessels
          • Offshore inspections of military equipment
          • Ration packs
        • Transhipping through Australia
          • Transhipped ship’s stores lodgement cover sheet
      • Biosecurity in Australia
        • Biosecurity Advanced Analytics Capability
        • Detector dogs
        • Innovative Biosecurity 3D X-ray Project
        • Modernising Australia’s approach to managing established pests and diseases of national significance: Discussion paper
        • Northern biosecurity
          • Aquatic pest biosecurity community awareness
          • Biosecurity-it’s everyone’s business virtual reality experience
          • Country Handle with Care - Costa and dirtgirl Tackle Biosecurity
          • Frontline-northern biosecurity’s community song
          • Avian influenza awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
          • Lumpy skin disease awareness – Keep a TopWatch!
          • Rabies Awareness - Keep a Top Watch!
          • Report a pest, weed or disease in Northern Australia
          • You can be a Biosecurity Champion too!
            • Developing industry and supporting local growers
        • Indigenous Ranger Biosecurity Program
          • Northern Australia Indigenous Biosecurity Ranger Forum
          • Northern Australia Indigenous Rangers Biosecurity Round Table
          • Biosecurity Business Grants Program
          • Ranger Capability Building Grants Program
          • Frontline Ranger Newsletter
        • Northern Australia Biosecurity Strategy 2030
          • The Northern Australia People Capacity and Response Network (NAPCaRN)
        • Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS)
          • Co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
          • Aircraft arriving on the Australian mainland from Torres Strait
          • NAQS target pests, diseases and weeds
          • Moving goods to, from and within Torres Strait
          • Significant events in the history of NAQs
            • Celebrating 30 years of co-operative biosecurity in northern Australia
            • Commemorating 25 years of NAQS
          • Shipping and yachting in the Torres Strait
          • Map of NAQS zones
        • Public awareness and education
          • Australian biosecurity webinar series
          • Detect and Protect podcast
            • Series 1 - How our biosecurity system works
            • Series 2 – Detector dogs
          • Australian Biosecurity Awards
            • Current Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
            • Past Australian Biosecurity Award recipients
          • Pacific engagement
            • Exporting to Australia from the Pacific
            • Working together with our Pacific neighbours
            • Australia's biosecurity system
            • Inside the department
              • Meet the team
            • Your local authority
          • Be a Junior Biosecurity Officer
            • Activities for kids
            • Teacher resources on biosecurity
          • Visual resources
        • Reform of the biosecurity system
          • Biosecurity Training Centre
          • Industry Partnerships and Engagement
        • Reports and publications
          • 2008-12 Imported cargo processing, a DAFF time release study
          • Biosecurity Matters Newsletter
          • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Nairn report
            • Australian Quarantine a shared responsibility: The Government response
        • Pest and disease surveillance at Australia’s borders
        • Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Biosecurity Strategy
      • Biosecurity research and innovation
        • Biosecurity Innovation Program
        • How we work with you
        • Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis
        • Innovation Ideas initiative
        • Innovation Pilots Initiative
        • Biosecurity Innovation Exchange 2018
      • Import risk analyses
        • Import request
        • Conducting an import risk analysis
          • Appropriate Level of Protection
          • Australia’s international biosecurity obligations
          • Roles and responsibilities in an import risk analysis
          • Scientific Advisory Group
        • Animal import risk analyses
          • Review of prawns and prawn products
            • Background: prawn and prawn products review
            • Prawn imports and biosecurity
            • Submissions received on the Review of prawns and prawn products – draft report
            • Submissions received on Australia’s current prawn import policy
          • Cooked turkey meat from the United States
            • Cooked turkey meat from the United States - Commencement of a review
          • Cooked duck meat from Thailand
          • Dairy products for human consumption
          • Fish and fish products for use as pet food and stockfeed
          • Hatching eggs of poultry
          • Import of live sturgeon for aquaculture
          • Natural sausage casings
          • Psittacine birds
          • Egg powder from approved countries
          • Zoo bovids from approved countries
        • Plant risk analyses
          • Plant commodity/country and pest risk analyses
          • How we conduct a plant risk analysis
        • Group pest risk analyses
          • Group pest risk analysis for scale insects
            • Draft report fact sheet
          • Group pest risk analysis for thrips and orthotospoviruses
            • Draft report
            • Fact sheet
            • Final report
          • Group pest risk analysis for mealybugs
            • Draft report
            • Draft report fact sheet
            • Final report
            • Final report fact sheet
        • Biological control agents
          • Risk analyses
            • Completed Risk Analyses
            • Current Risk Analyses
          • Host test lists
          • Protocol for biological control agents
        • Weed assessments
          • Development of the Weed Risk Assessment system
          • Weed risk assessments frequently asked questions
          • Reasons for the Weed Risk Assessment system
          • The Weed Risk Assessment process
            • Weed Risk Assessment system
        • Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis guidelines
        • Centre of excellence for biosecurity risk analysis
        • Biosecurity advices
        • Register as a stakeholder
      • Emergency preparedness and outbreak response
        • Exercises
          • Exercise Volare (2024)
        • Maintaining good animal welfare outcomes in an emergency animal disease outbreak
        • National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement review
          • NBC approach to the NEBRA five year review recommendations
        • Horse Disease Response Levy review
        • Wildlife Exotic Disease Preparedness Program
          • Feral animals as hosts of exotic disease: Identification of potential disease contact between feral animals and sites of exotic disease incursion
          • Avian Influenza Viruses in Migratory Shorebirds and Nomadic Water Fowl in South Australia
          • Avian Migration and Movement pathogens in the Australo-Papuan context
          • AWHN OIE Report 2004
          • AWHN OIE Report 2005
          • Destroy and Let Lie Disposal Project
          • Development and Validation - Newcastle Disease
          • Field Surveillance and Monitoring - Leishmania in the Northern Territory
          • Final report: preparing Australia by preparing Papua New Guinea
          • GIS Mapping Software in National Surveillance Database
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra virus
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus (2)
          • Identifying and Mapping Hendra Virus Strain Diversity (Stage 1)
          • Improving the Relevance and Efficiency of Wild Bird Surveillance for AI
          • Reservoirs of Infection: The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Emerging Pathogen
          • Summary Report - Contraceptives Pigs
          • Summary Report - pigs disease spread
      • Animal
      • Plant
      • Pests, diseases and weeds
      • Environmental biosecurity
        • Managing Environmental Biosecurity
          • How we engage
          • First Nations
          • Research and innovation
        • How the system works
        • Exotic environmental pests
          • The Environmental Biosecurity Project Fund
          • Priority list of exotic pests, weeds and diseases
            • Technical information about the Exotic Environmental Pest List
            • Higher-risk exotic environmental pests
      • Biosecurity questions and answers
      • Legislation
        • List of Biosecurity Preparedness Plans
        • List of Goods That May Carry Hitchhiker Pests
        • The Biosecurity Act 2015
          • Updates to information sharing provisions
          • Changes to import requirements
          • Introduction to the Biosecurity Act Interactive Learning tool
          • Reviewable decisions
        • Reportable biosecurity incidents
          • Reportable biosecurity incidents form
        • Compliance and enforcement
          • Biosecurity Compliance Plan 2016-17
          • Biosecurity Compliance Statement
          • Compliance and enforcement tools
          • Redline - report a biosecurity breach
          • Export and import laws and the role of the department
          • Infringement Notice Scheme
            • Infringement notices at the airport
            • Other infringement notices
      • Fees and charges
      • Forms
      • Coronavirus
        • Food and agriculture
        • Exports
        • Imports
        • Domestic animals

Biofouling resources

This page includes reports and technical papers related to our biofouling policies.

In-water cleaning

Marine biosecurity

Vessel biofouling is a major pathway for the introduction of marine pests into Australian waters. In-water vessel cleaning and removal of biofouling is useful in minimising the biosecurity risk. However, biological waste must be captured to prevent exotic marine species establishing in our marine environment. A review of minimum viable propagule sizes of key biofouling taxa was commissioned to:

  • assess the potential for release of organisms during in-water cleaning
  • inform the filtration level contained in the biosecurity standard.

Download

Assessment of reproductive propagule size for biofouling risk groups (PDF 6.2 MB)
Assessment of reproductive propagule size for biofouling risk groups (DOCX 176 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Chemical Contaminant Risks

Most vessels are coated with an anti-fouling coating to prevent growth of biofouling on hulls and maintain vessel efficiency. Many anti-fouling coatings contain a biocide which is released into the seawater by one of several chemical mechanisms to deter marine growth.

Reports were commissioned to help us better understand the potential chemical contaminant risks posed by in-water cleaning of anti-fouling coatings in Australian waters.

This report collates and evaluates available information on the chemical contaminant risks of in-water cleaning. It recommends ways to manage these risks.

Download

Chemical contaminant risks associated with in-water cleaning of vessels (PDF 6.2 MB)
Chemical contaminant risks associated with in-water cleaning of vessels (DOCX 176 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

MAMPEC modelling of key Australian ports to predict environmental impacts of in-water cleaning discharge

This report includes a Marine Antifoulant Model for Predicting Environmental Concentrations (MAMPEC). It’s used to predict the amount of copper that may be released in key Australian ports under different cleaning scenarios.

Download

MAMPEC modelling of key Australian ports to predict environmental impacts of in-water cleaning discharge (PDF 8 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Biofouling Management Requirements

The full Australian biofouling management requirements can be viewed below.

Download

Australian biofouling management requirements (PDF 678 KB)
Australian biofouling management requirements (DOCX 1.41 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Recreational boat operators

Recreational Boat Operators Self-Management of Biofouling in Australia

A study was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) on recreational boat operators self-management of biofouling in Australia. Read the summary or download the full report.

Download

Recreational boat operators' self-management of biofouling in Australia (PDF 3.0 MB)
Recreational boat operators' self-management of biofouling in Australia (DOCX 2.45 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Temporal development of biofouling assemblages

In 2010, a literature review was conducted to evaluate the development of biofouling assemblages on non-toxic substrates following immersion periods of 1 – 4 weeks, in both temperate and tropical climates. We use this information to determine whether vessels undergoing hull cleaning in foreign ports may become recolonised by local biota following cleaning if they reside in these ports for a further 1 – 4 weeks prior to departure for Australia.

Download

Temporal Development of Biofouling Assemblages (PDF 596 KB)
Temporal Development of Biofouling Assemblages (DOCX 624 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Species biofouling risk assessment:

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, February 2011

Marine biological invasions have increased throughout the world’s oceans to the extent that no region is considered ‘pristine’. At least 1781 species have been identified as introduced in marine or estuarine systems somewhere in the world. Many of these species have been introduced to several regions, inferring an ease of transport by human mediated mechanisms. A substantial number of these species have either demonstrable or inferred impacts.

Download

Species biofouling risk assessment (PDF 6.0 MB)
Species biofouling risk assessment (DOC 5.9 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Analysis (CEBRA)

Factors that influence vessel biofouling and its prevention and management

This document describes the current scientific and technical understanding of the factors that influence biofouling and biofouling management on all vessel types, including commercial and recreational vessels. It informs and supports our policy on biofouling of international vessels entering Australian territory under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (the Act). It does not assign risk to particular vessel scenarios but is a resource that we can use to support an assessment of biosecurity risk associated with biofouling under the Act. It is a living document that will be periodically reviewed and updated as new information becomes available.

Download

Factors that influence vessel biofouling and its prevention and management (PDF 17.2 MB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Regulation Impact Statements (RIS)

Developing mandatory biofouling requirements

In 2021, we published a decision RIS, which provided policy options for Australian Government action to improve the regulation of biosecurity risk associated with biofouling on vessels arriving into Australian territory. The Australian Government agreed with the department’s recommended policy option: proactive biofouling management practices.

The Biosecurity Amendment (Biofouling Management) Regulations 2021 entered into force on 15 June 2022. From this date, the department implemented an 18-month education phase after extensive consultation with stakeholders. Further consultation and feedback was sought during the education phase.

Consultation Regulation Impact Statement

In 2019, the department consulted on a RIS which set out options for mandatory requirements to manage biosecurity risks associated with biofouling on vessels arriving in Australian territory. The submissions were considered when developing new biofouling requirements.

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Page last updated: 05 December 2023

We acknowledge the continuous connection of First Nations Traditional Owners and Custodians to the lands, seas and waters of Australia. We recognise their care for and cultivation of Country. We pay respect to Elders past and present, and recognise their knowledge and contribution to the productivity, innovation and sustainability of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries.

Artwork: Protecting our Country, Growing our Future
© Amy Allerton, contemporary Aboriginal Artist of the Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi nations.

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