International Ship Recycling Association (ISRA) issued a press statement to express its appreciation of the recent ratification by Bangladesh and Liberia of the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) which was adopted in 2009. Following this ratification the criteria for the convention to enter into force in June 2025 have now been met.
Whilst ISRA welcomes the new developments it remains concerned over the effectiveness of the HKC-regime which in the past decade has been unable to sufficiently motivate practitioners of substandard recycling to significantly improve their standards. The majority of the world fleet still ends up at substandard facilities in South Asia exposing both the involved authorities and other stakeholders who bear the responsibility to ensure a safe and proper recycling of ships and waste. Furthermore, earlier in July, many NGOs expressed their skepticism over Hong Kong Convention effectiveness while Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) experts questioned how the global framework for ship recycling will look like from 2025.
Commenting on the developments Dr. Konstantinos Galanis, Chairman of ISRA urges the Ship recycling industry and the legislators to use the upcoming two years to further adjust the HKC-regime.
This long voyage which started with the adoption of the convention 14 years ago is far from being completed. We need to continue working ona strict and internationally (independently) controlled and enforced regime that will provide the necessary standards to ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.
European Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR) enforcement took place on 20 November 2013. EUSRR provides a holistic approach including the downstream waste management and has a sufficient number of already approved ship recycling facilities as members with several being audited and inspected not only by the EU member states but also from DNV (IACS member) experts in safety, hazardous waste management and environment. ISRA believes that efforts from all actors have to be in timely place for a level playing field asstill most of the global fleet ends up in substandard facilities, especially in South Asia.