The International Maritime Authority has proposed a worldwide ban on tri-butyl tin (TBT) based antifouling paints, starting in January 2003. Confirmation of these dates is expected at the IMO diplomatic conference this October. Although some ship operators have already converted to tin-free antifoulings, most ship operators are waiting until the ban is confirmed before they decide a policy on the use of tin-free antifoulings. This is due to cost and performance considerations. It is clear that most ship operators are not informed about the available tin-free technologies and are not aware that there are products, which are equal in performance to TBT-based antifoulings.