Arsenic and lead-based paints, already condemned and outlawed by many countries world-wide, remain stocked on the shelves of ship chandlers in Piraeus alongside other poisonous paint products such as biocides and heavy metals. The latter are in the process of being outlawed and must be phased out of the world market over the next few years.
In the meantime, Greece's largest and dearest resource - her sea - providing income since ancient times from fishing, transport, tourism and, more recently, recreation resorts, is being laden with deadly pollutants such as toxic anti-foulings, killing marine life and entering the food chain on an overwhelming scale daily. In no other place in the world are so many ships painted with toxic keel paint or anti-fouling materials as in Greece - a country surrounded by the busiest sea traffic for an area of its size in the world.
For years pollutants have caused great damage to marine life and to humans, especially since the introduction of the current form of anti-fouling. There were no poison-free alternatives and the law did not require any alternatives. Today, such alternatives exist. By 2003 the IMO will impose a ban on organotin compounds in marine paints. However, it is disheartening to see that some consider it more profitable to continue supplying ship owners with organic solvents, when some major paint companies have silicone-based alternatives at hand.
A great deal of research has gone into finding alternative non-biocide coatings to prevent the biofouling of keel hulls by marine organisms. One such study was recently completed by Hamburg University's LimnoMar Research Institute. The two-year project, testing the effects of non-toxic marine anti-fouling products, was concluded at the end of April this year, and confirmed once again the ecological feasibility of such available products as silicone and fibre. The LimnoMar report maintains that all silicone-based coatings displayed fairly good performance, fouling to a certain degree, but with essential reduction of adhesion by all organisms, especially barnacles. The micro-fibre coating investigated proved best as an anti- fouling agent against underside growth among all non-toxic paints; comparable in effectiveness to biocide-leaching anti-fouling paint.
The alternative anti-fouling micro-fibre product mentioned in the LimnoMar report, was invented in 1992 by Kjell Alm from Sweden. "As a private citizen I am deeply concerned that so may people continue to poison our seas around the world on a daily basis", said Mr. Alm. "TBT is acting on the hormons and will ultimately decrease the population in Greece, continued Mr. Alm. ''SealCoat is a non-biocide product that is environmentally friendly, extremely effective, and economical to apply'',
After years of testing by other official organisations, from Scandinavia to China, as well as in Greece and the USA, SealCoart is replacing the toxic anti-fouling in use today and the SealCoat/Almyra S/A operation enjoy a rapid world-wide expansion. From the company's head office in Greece, 21 sales offices have been established in 14 countries so far and more companies are in the pipeline. Needless to say, SealCoat will be participating at this year's Posidonia Exhibition with an impressive booth.
It is unfortunate that even with such available options - especially as the majority of paint companies have silicone-based alternatives either at hand or near marketability - it apparently remains more profitable to continue supplying ship owners with organic solvents. The price is daily being paid alongside Greece's greatest resource.


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