A BBC Disclosure documentary investigation conducted by Mark Daly and Chris Foote journalists, revealed how shipbreaking activities in Alang, India caused severe harm to the environment. The disclosure pays attention to the illegally export attempt of a trio of floating rigs full of asbestos and mercury from the Scottish Cromarty Firth.
The average lifespan of a ship is 25-30 years. After this span, the ship may become too expensive to operate, but most importantly, to become unseaworthy putting human safety at risk. So, have you ever wondered what happens to a ship when it is too old to sail?
According to new data released by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 674 ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2019. Of these vessels, 469 large tankers, bulkers, floating platforms, cargo and passenger ships were broken down on only three beaches in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. This number amounts to approximately 90% of the gross tonnage dismantled worldwide.
The High Court of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh declared the import, beaching and breaking of the FPSO North Sea Producer illegal, following the NGO’s Shipbreaking Platform member organisation Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Public Interest Litigation against the producer.
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform issued its Q3 2019 results noting that there were a total of 122 ships broken, out of which 73 were sold to the beaches of South Asia for dirty and dangerous breaking. The NGO’s report for Q2 revealed that 193 ships were dismantled and the 146 of these were sold to South Asian scrapping beaches.
The NGO Shipbreaking platform reported that two shipbreaking workers were recently killed at Indian beaching yards. Both yards have applied for recognition under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform issued its research report ‘Recycling Outlook: Decommissioning of North Sea Floating Oil & Gas Units’ highlighting an increase in the number of the offshore units sold for scrap.
As the NGO Shipbreaking Platform informed via its twitter account, three workers lost their lives and at least six were injured because of a toxic gas leak at a shipbreaking yard in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The incident took place on July 31, at the shipbreaking yard of MAK Corporation.
After a worker lost his life while cutting the ship ‘Ever Union’ at a shipbreaking yard in Bangladesh, on July 23, Evergreen released a press statement expressing sympathy for this loss of life and for any other resulting from an industrial accident. It also disclaimed any responsibility, as the ship had been already in the hands of a buyer who had provided assurances that the breakers yard concerned is a certified Green-Ship Recycling shipyard.
On July 23, a cutter man died while working at Kabir Steel’s Khawja shipbreaking yard in Chittagong, Bangladesh. According to local sources, Shahidul was cutting the container ship Ever Union, when he fell from a great height. The Ever Union was sold for scrapping for more than $10 million. Before reaching the shore, the ship was renamed Vera and changed registry to the Paris MoU black-listed flag of Palau.
