The 1^st meeting of RTF on Biofouling Management

The marine environment protection has long been one of the world’s hottest topics. Nowadays the minimization of the impact of aquatic biofouling is emerging as one of such topics. Given this, IMO has been implementing the GloFounling Partnerships together with GEF and UNDP, focusing on building capacity in developing countries for implementing the Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species adopted by IMO’s resolution MEPC. 207(62). As a result, lead partnering countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, etc. were chosen to develop and implement the national strategies and policies on biofouling control on a trial basis.

PEMSEA held remotely the first meeting of the Regional Task Force on Biofouling Management on April 28, aiming to share the best practices of some countries across the Asian region. Present were East Asian countries including the DPR Korea. The meeting gave consideration to twelve agenda and, finally, organized the Regional Task Force on Biofouling Management for the East Asian Seas Region the next steps of which is to develop and implement the regional strategy on biofouling management.

In the DPR Korea, development of the national policy and database as well as scientific studies on aquatic biofouling control is in progress in the coordination of officials of the Maritime Administration of the DPR Korea and the Korea Marine Environment Protection Center.