258 ships were broken in the second quarter of 2021
197 ships were sold to the beaches of South Asia, where conditions are known to put workers’ lives and the environment at risk, according to NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s South Asia Quarterly Update.
Source:
“Almost one third of the ships sold to South Asia this quarter changed flag to the registries of Comoros , Gabon, Palau and St. Kitts and Nevis just weeks before hitting the beach. ”
— NGO Shipbreaking Platform
United Arab Emirates ship owners sold the most ships to South Asian yards , closely followed by Greek , Singaporean and South Korean owners. Almost one third of the ships sold to South Asia this quarter changed flag to the registries of Comoros , Gabon, Palau and St. Kitts and Nev s just weeks before hitting the beach. These flags are not typically used during the operational life of ships and offer “last voyage registration” discounts. They are particularly popular with the middlemen scrap-dealers that purchase vessels cash from ship owners, and are grey- and black-listed due to their poor implementation of international maritime law.
258 total ships dismantled worldwide:
EU & ROW: 30 ships
TURKEY: 30 ships
CHINA: 1 ship
SOUTH ASIA: 197 ships
Bangladesh: 80 ships
India: 69 ships
Pakistan: 48 ships
“Lack of proper IHMs onboard vessels when these are imported to the breaking yards are a serious threat to human health and the environment.”
False IHMs claiming that the vessels are hazardous-free are issued to circumvent the ban on trading hazardous wastes, and without proper identification of the many hazardous materials embedded in the ships' structures , workers are unknowingly being exposed to toxics that may seriously damage their health.
Source: NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s South Asia Quarterly Update
Last updated Mar 08, 2023
- Related topics
