The WWF issued the call last week to the International Maritime Organisation's Marine Environment Protection Committee, which was meeting in London. Tributyl tin, an antifouling paint applied to the hulls of ships, is strongly toxic and of particular concern are its endocrine-altering effects. The chemical has been shown to change the sex of dog whelks, and dangerous levels have been recorded further up the food chain in creatures such as tuna and porpoises. The paint, commonly known as TBT, has been in use for many years and, despite longstanding recognition of the harm it does to marine life, just 17 of the IMO's 166 member countries have passed legislation to ban it. Tributyl tin will, however, become illegal in the EU in 2008. The law will apply not only to EU-based vessels but to all ships entering EU waters. If properly policed, the EU ban should have a noticeable effect on fleets globally. It is not clear whether non-EU transgressors will simply be fined or have their vessels turned away, whether or not business has been concluded at their European ports of call. For smaller commercial and leisure vessels, Britain banned the use of tributyl tin anti-fouling on vessels under 25m in length in 1987. Related links
WWF campaign
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