Econets Australia Information

Econets Australia is an eco-friendly in-water marine cleaning company based in Perth WA. Econets Australia was founded in 2013 in response to our personal experiences observing the detrimental effects of biofouling on the marine environment, caused by in-water boat cleaning practices. Our vision was to develop an environmentally conscientious method of in-water hull cleaning and de-fouling, convenient enough to encourage proper care by boat owners. We invented a proprietary containment device and cleaning process that enables the safe in-water cleaning of vessels. Our process is fast, convenient and cost effective. It also achieves our mission to reduce the amount of biofouling that is released back into the eco-system and limit the biosecurity risk of invasive aquatic pests by offering boat owners an alternative in-water cleaning service. At Econets our team is passionate about boating and marine life, we genuinely care about the prosperity and health of the precious marine environment, and want to participate in creating a sustainable marine industry. Collectively our team has over 35 years of marine and dive experience, both locally and internationally. HOW DOES IT WORK? Econets Australia uses a proprietary in-water vessel encapsulation device to provide environmentally sustainable in-water hull cleaning. The cleaning process allows for in-water removal and collection of biofouling from the hull of a vessel in accordance with the Australian marine industry recommendations and guidelines. The "Econet" is comprised of two submersible layers, the inner layer confines biofouling and possible antifoul paint shed from the vessel's hull. The outer layer is made of a marine grade monofilament mesh which serves to anchor, support and shape the inner net. The cleaning process involves piloting the vessel into the net enclosure and sealing the enclosure. Divers then wipe (or brush) down the hull of the vessel and running gear with nylon brushes, avoiding the use of marine polluting chemicals. Once the vessel is clean it is piloted out of the net enclosure via a small exit zip installed with a bubble barrier curtain. This barrier curtain ensures that any possible contaminated water remains within the net enclosure while the boat exits. The contained body of water is treated and exchanged constantly to keep water quality high. Once organic matter is at a certain weight, we vacuum out the solids into our holding tank to be disposed of in accordance with waste disposal laws. The "Econet" system is easy to install and remove from any marina pen.