The use of TBT (tributyltin) antifouling banned for use on leisure craft, but not commercially since the eighties, because of its harmful affects on marine life, finally looks like coming to the end of its days. Panama has at last signed the international treaty banning TBT on all its vessels worldwide,and as this brings the total merchant shipping tonnage having ratified the treaty to more than 50%of the world tonnage, it becomes automatic and enforceable by all states from July 2008. It has taken some twenty years for Britain to be in a position to enforce the no TBT rule, on say, tankers using the Solent.
It always seemed completely illogical that the most effective antifouling ever devised,could not be used on yachts whose combined bottoms were hardly equal to one of the many leviathans using our waters, while they were able to continue to use it with impunity.
from Cruising, Feb, 2008
