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Responsible shipbreaking can secure a sustainable future for shipping: NGO

The mentality of most shipowners not feeling responsible for the proper end-of-life management of their fleet needs to change, if the world is to see an end to the hazardous and environmentally unsustainable demolition of ships on beaches, the recent release of the 2015 annual report of NGO Shipbreaking Platform states.

Lee Hong Liang, Asia Correspondent

June 20, 2016

3 Min Read
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For many shipbreaking yards in the world, especially those in developing countries, ship demolition work continues to be a dirty and dangerous affair, prone to accidents and deaths in some cases.

The report stated that most owners “just sell old ships to cash buyers and close their ears and eyes to the consequences of this practice. What counts is profit.” However, times are changing and the non-governmental organisation did also acknowledge that more and more owners are committing to sustainable shipping.

In a brief on the various shipbreaking countries, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform annual report wrote that in India’s Alang, local trade unions said at least six workers have died in accidents at shipbreaking yards in 2015, but local authorities refused to disclose the accident records.

Despite the deaths alerted by the trade unions, no yard owner has been held responsible as they managed to pressured the law enforcers to drop charges against them, the report mentioned.

The shipbreaking beaches of Chittagong in Bangladesh have been severely polluted and continued to be void of waste treatment and storage facilities, posing serious workplace hazards. Last year, NGO Shipbreaking Platform documented the stories of at least 16 workers who died and more than 20 who were severely injured while working in apalling conditions.

In Gadani of Pakistan, shipbreaking yards operate directly on the beach without any impermeable and drained working areas protecting the sea and sand from pollution, not to mention zero access to any kind of hazardous waste management system. The workers often have to work very long hours without extra pay or holidays, and hospitals are too far away from the breaking beaches to treat severe injuries, the report said.

Apart from South Asia, the report also mentioned China and Turkey, of which both countries have adopted better practices although it believes more can be done. Chinese companies have been investing in more modern ship recycling facilities since early 2000s and the beaching method is banned. However, not all Chinese yards are fully equipped with the necessary facilities and hazardous waste handling needs to be strengthened.

In Turkey, shipbreaking companies in Aliaga intend to apply for the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities, amidst concerns over occupational health and safety amongst the shipbreaking workers.

If shipowners are really committed to not turn a blind eye to their end-of-life vessels, there are clean and safe methods of ship recycling. The most sophisticated method is to use a dry dock where a ship is recycled under similar conditions as when it was built. This method is hardly use as it is the least profitable for shipowners, the report said. Another cheaper and more widely used method, for instance in China and Europe, is pier-side demolition rather than on beaches.

“The debate in 2015 has been dominated by one big question: can a beaching yard, where a ship is broken down directly on the sand, in the intertidal zone, become a clean and safe ship recycling yard? Many business stakeholders quickly answer this question with yes,” said Patrizia Heidegger, executive director of NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

But behind the “yes” to the question are reasons not justifiable when owners simply seek for a convenient solution to their unwanted assets and cash buyers want to protect their customary business model based on maximising profits, argued Heidegger.

“We believe that the beaching method is a dead end. Ship dismantling is an industrial activity that needs industrial methods, equipment and standards. Beach locations and intertidal zone operations cannot close all the gaps to ensure safe operations and full containment of pollutants,” she said.

“We believe that both workers and the environment all around the world have the same right to full protection – and that countries whose industries are developing such as India or Bangladesh do more harm than good to themselves by believing that they cannot operate on a more ambitious level. They can.”

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About the Author

Lee Hong Liang

Asia Correspondent

Singapore-based Lee Hong Liang provides a significant boost to daily coverage of the Asian shipping markets, as well as bringing with him an in-depth specialist knowledge of the bunkering markets.

Throughout Hong Liang’s 14-year career as a maritime journalist, he has reported ‘live’ news from conferences, conducted one-on-one interviews with top officials, and had the ability to write hard news and featured stories.

 

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