Australian-based Franmarine Underwater Services is conducting trials in Henderson, Western Australia this week on an improved treatment system for removing biofouling from hulls, while vessels are still in the water.

Fisheries Minister Ken Baston viewed the latest treatment system in action at the Australian Marine Complex.

“Marine pests spread by international vessels are the greatest aquatic biosecurity risk to the State and biofouling on hulls is the main way those pests enter our waters,” Mr Baston said.

“This Government remains committed to preventing marine pests arriving and establishing themselves in Western Australia and it is encouraging to see the collaboration and efforts of companies, like Franmarine, in looking for ways to minimise the risk.”

He said that a lot of work has been done recently in Western Australia to develop guidelines for in-water treatment of vessels, to sit alongside national guidelines. The Department of Fisheries, in consultation with industry and other stakeholders, has set standards to ensure that, when vessels are treated this way, all biological material is captured without damaging toxic anti-fouling paint.

The Minister said the guidelines also indicated when and where in-water treatment could be used on vessels.

“This treatment method may be appropriate when an emergency response is required to treat a vessel, on which a marine pest has been detected, or where a vessel is considered very low risk for the introduction of marine pests,” he said.

Franmarine Underwater Services won a Department of Fisheries’ Excellence in Marine Biosecurity Award in 2014 for development of an in-water hull cleaning and filtration system.

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