US shipowners are among the worst dumpers that sell end-of life-ships for dirty and dangerous breaking in South Asia with minimal enforcement of environment and safety rules to maximise profit, says a new report.
The Seattle-based Basel Action Network in collaboration with the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has found that 469 out of 674 vessels in 2019 were broken down in primitive, substandard conditions on three beaches in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
The report found that last year, at least 26 workers lost their lives when breaking apart the global fleet. The NGO documented accidents that killed 24 workers on the beach of Chattogram, making 2019 the worst year for Bangladeshi yards in terms of fatalities since 2010.
“American offshore giants are amongst the biggest global dumpers exploiting the environments and impoverished work force of South Asia,” said Jim Puckett, Director of Basel Action Network. The report names these companies but Bangla Tribune couldn't reach them for comments.
“The owners use foreign flags to hide their dirty work, but our research clearly lays the blame on these US companies, who act in violation of international law and norms,” he added.
United Arab Emirates, Greece and then the US top the list of three worst country dumpers in 2019. UAE owners were responsible for the highest absolute number of ships sold to South Asian shipbreaking yards in 2019: 45 ships in total. Greek owners closely followed with 40 beached vessels and the US with 29.
All ships sold to Chattogram, Bangladesh; Alang, India; and Gadani, Pakistan pass via the hands of scrap-brokers, better known as cash buyers. Cash buyers typically re-name, re-register and re-flag the vessels on their last voyage, says the report.
Black-listed flags, such as Palau, Comoros and St Kitts & Nevis, were particularly popular in 2019: almost half of the ships sold to South Asia changed flag to one of these registries just weeks before hitting the beach, it says.
Chittagong is considered one of the biggest global recycling centres and is estimated to be providing more than two million tonnes of steel for the Bangladesh economy.
The steel from the ships is reworked and goes to the construction industry, boilers, compressors and generators are reconditioned and used in the clothing and fishing industries, wood is turned into furniture, and even toxic materials like asbestos are reused.
The work, however, is dirty and highly dangerous. Hundreds of workers loose life and limbs. The coastal environment is massively polluted with oils, asbestos and chemicals.
The Bangladesh industry says that the conditions in the yards are getting better, but if the world wants its ships to be dismantled in a totally safe way in Bangladesh, then richer governments should invest in the yards.
Shibbreaking Platforms’s Founder and Director Ingvild Jenssen says: “Profit is the only decisive factor for most ship owners when selling their vessels for breaking.”