Global Industry Alliance (GIA) for Marine Biosafety launched
GLOFOULING PARTNERSHIPS LAUNCHES GLOBAL INDUSTRY ALLIANCE (GIA) FOR MARINE BIOSAFETY
GIA brings together leadership Ocean Companies to reduce invasive species introductions, protect Marine Biodiversity and Decarbonize Shipping via improved Biofouling Management
11 June 2020
On World Oceans Day 2020 the GloFouling Partnerships Project launched a ground-breaking private sector alliance to accelerate solutions to improve the management of marine biofouling and reduce its role related to invasive species and greenhouse gas emissions.
The newly created Global Industry Alliance (GIA) for Marine Biosafety is designed as a partnership of leadership companies from industries affected by biofouling, e.g. shipping, aquaculture, offshore oil & gas, offshore renewable energy.
The World Ocean Council (WOC) is the lead partner for engaging the ocean business and investment community in the 5-year GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project. The WOC is pulling together Biofouling Best Management Practices for a range of industry sectors and will be organizing events to foster and facilitate investment in solutions to biofouling.
Global environmental problems such as marine bio-invasions cannot be fully addressed without private sector efforts, technical resources and expertise. The GloFouling GIA member companies will work to leverage human, technological and financial resources; facilitate industry input into policy developments and a positive pull for reform processes; and the development and dissemination of technological solutions to improve biofouling management.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said the new alliance will, for the first time, bring together all maritime industries in finding solutions to two key environmental issues – protecting marine biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “Under this new initiative, these industry champions, from different sectors, are coming together to address common challenges and move towards a more sustainable use of ocean resources,” Lim said.
Leadership companies from all industry sectors affected by, or interested in, biofouling and related best management practices are invited to join the GIA. This includes shipping companies, ship operators and managers; ship builders and dockyards; aquaculture industry; ports and marinas; technology developers; offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation; deep sea mining companies; marine renewable energy industry; yacht and sailing boat builders; coating/marine paints industry; in-water cleaning service providers; class societies; and P&I clubs.
For more information about the GIA, visit https://www.glofouling.imo.
The WOC will be working with the GIA companies and other industry and investment stakeholders to ensure that the collaboration and efforts of the GloFouling Partnerships Project will continue beyond the life of the project. The WOC is building on efforts that began in 2010 to engage the diverse ocean business community on tackling biofouling and invasive species.
