All Ships>400gt engaged in international voyages

Amendment to the AFS Convention – Control of AFS containing Cybutryne

MEPC 76 adopted draft amendments to Annexes 1 and 4 to the AFS Convention and the form of the International Anti-fouling System Certificate (IAFSC) to include controls on cybutryne. The amendments mean that anti-fouling systems (AFS) containing cybutryne shall not be applied or reapplied to ships on or after 1 January 2023. Ships bearing an AFS that contains cybutryne in the external coating layer of their hulls or external parts or surfaces on 1 January 2023 shall either:
Remove the anti-fouling system; or Apply a coating that forms a barrier to this substance leaching from the underlying non-compliant AFS;
no later than either the next scheduled renewal of the anti-fouling system after 1 January 2023, but no later than 60 months following the last application to the ship of an anti-fouling system containing cybutryne.