The antifouling paint containing capsaicin, an extract of cayenne pepper, was developed by researchers with the No. 2 Marine Research Institute of the State Oceanic Administration and passed a technical appraisal by experts with the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Bureau in east China recently.

Lin Maofu, head of the research team, referred to the paint as a kind of compound composed of a biologically active substance distilled from natural pollution-free capsicum and organic clay.

The paint does not kill the sea organisms that cling on ships, but can drive them away, Lin said, thus reducing energy consumption by making it easier for ships to sail.

Moreover, Lin said, experimental use of the paint on seven ships sailing on the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the northern Pacific Ocean show that it can reduce pollution effectively.

The paint is of vital importance in protecting the oceanic ecological environment and promoting the sustainable growth of oceanic economy, noted Jin Qinghuan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who is among the experts to authenticate the antifouling product.

According to the specifications of the International Convention on Controlling Toxic Antifouling Systems on Ship, all paint firms will be prohibited from producing and ships banned from using any kind of toxic antifouling paint containing organotin and other toxic substances beginning from Jan. 1, 2003.

Precisely for this reason, many countries have enacted laws and regulations restricting or banning production and use of toxic antifouling paints over the past several years.

(People's Daily September 26, 2002)