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International Maritime Organization treaty
The
International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems in Ships
(
AFS Convention
) is a 2001
International Maritime Organization
(IMO)
treaty
whereby states agree to prohibit the use of harmful
anti-fouling paints
and other anti-
fouling
systems that contain harmful substances. In particular, the use of the
organotin
tributyltin
is prohibited, since leaching of that chemical from the hulls of ships has been shown to cause deformations in
oysters
and sex changes in
whelks
.
The convention was concluded in
London
on 5 October 2001 and entered into force on 17 September 2008. As of November 2018, it has been ratified by 81 states, which includes 79
United Nations member states
plus the
Cook Islands
and
Niue
. A ratifying state agrees to enforce the prohibitions of the convention on all ships flying
its flag
and
on any ship that enters a port, shipyard, or offshore terminal of the state. The 81 ratifying states represent approximately 94 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant fleets.
External links
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