New, tougher legislation around biofouling has impacted boat owners and operators of marinas and hardstands alike. (See Guidelines.) The latter are obliged to ensure their facilities meet environmental standards, while among some boat owners there is a perception that hardstand capacity is reducing just when the new regulations have boosted demand for hull cleaning.
Biofouling legislation has put increasing pressure on boat owners to ensure their hulls are clean before travelling from place to place. Many regions/regional councils, such as Northland and the Marlborough Sounds, now have strict biofouling standards for boats entering their waters.
The tricky thing is that there is not one national set of biofouling rules for boaties to follow, with each region taking its own approach – and many marinas have even stricter standards. That means boat owners must note the biofouling regulations for their region, or the one they are travelling to, as well as the marina they intend to use.
Increasing emphasis on clean bottoms has put pressure on boat owners to comply, which in
