Launched by Shipbreaking Platform
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has launched a data-driven website which lists all the ships that have been sent for breaking on the beaches of South Asia since 2009.
On the website, more than 1,000 shipping companies that commercially benefited from selling their ships for breaking in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are listed. It is well documented that shipbreaking on the South Asian beaches causes labour rights violations and severe environmental degradation.
Thewww.offthebeach.org website is the backbone of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s OFF THE BEACH ! campaign, which aims to raise awareness on harmful shipbreaking practices and to promote clean and safe ship recycling. The campaign is not only targeted at the shipowners’ community, but also at consumers and cargo owners by enabling them to choose responsible shipowners to carry their goods around the world.
The database documents more than 2,600 ships that were scrapped in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan since 15 May 2009, the date when the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention was adopted by the international community. It is obvious that the Hong Kong Convention does nothing to prevent the dangerous beaching practices widely used today, nor does it have the aim to prevent such practices in the future. In fact, more ships have been beached annually since Hong Kong was adopted. The OFF THE BEACH ! database includes information on the shipping companies that sold these vessels to substandard shipbreaking facilities, including an overview of their operational fleet (more than 14,000 ships), so that cargo owners can make an informed decision on who they choose to do business with.
Some of the shipping companies listed for having sent ships to substandard facilities since 2009 have meanwhile changed their recycling policies. These success stories are featured in the blog section of the website, where the Platform will also showcase disappointing setbacks.
Click to view Shipbreaking Platform animation video
Source: Ship Breaking Platform
– Since 2006, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has advocated for the environmentally sound and safe dismantling of end-of-life ships “OFF THE BEACH !”.
The website http://www.offthebeach.org/ was launched in June 2013, to distinguish responsible shipowners that adopt clean & safe ship recycling policies and practices from those shipowners that continue to support harmful beach shipbreaking operations.
– Find out latest Ship Recycling Developments by reading Mrs Jessica Rottmer’s article (edited version of her presentation during the2013 GREEN4SEA Forum)
